The Crystal Sorcerer
by Polymer1
Summary: Fate asks Harry a favour. To sleep for thousands of years to fulfil another Prophecy in the future, and in return She and her sisters would grant his wish of a family.
1. An Out of Body Experience

An Out of Body Experience:

Harry let out the breath he had been holding as he blinked the green light from his vision, revealing a space that refused to define itself. Harry was sure he had seen it before. A soft moaning and whimpering echoed and distorted around columns of fog. Turning full circle, Harry finally recognised where he was. It was King's Cross Station, or it would be if the Station had been made out of bricks of condensed mist. Concentrating on the sound Harry thought that it was coming from under one of the nearby benches. Curiosity getting the better of him Harry crept towards the sounds.

As he got closer Harry had the distinct feeling that whatever it was, was in pain. As his scar twinged Harry backed the thought up that it probably deserved it.

Crouching slowly, like he would so as not to frighten a wild animal, Harry peered under the unsubstantial bench. The thing, there was nothing else Harry could think of to describe it, was a twisted mass of mottled red skin and stunted limbs. Harry knew that this was Voldemort. Or at least the part of Voldemort that had been lodged in his head.

Harry stumbled back as bile rose in his throat, death was a small price to pay to be free of that. Shuddering at the thought that he had been carrying that abomination around for seventeen years Harry wandered over to another of the unoccupied benches. Paying attention to the shifting of the fog and the swirling patterns it made in the shapes of columns and arches he forced the whimpers and moans to the back of his mind.

"Well, now what?" Harry asked the empty air, his voice distorting and mixing with the pain filled sounds.

"A good question." A feminine voice spoke from beside him, causing Harry to jump and stare at the sudden apparition in shock.

It was a blonde haired woman, in a simply cut dress that shifted colour as easily as the mist shifted forms. When she turned to look at him Harry saw that her eyes had no pupil and no whites. They were solid blue, a deep royal blue.

"Yes, but a better one is 'what do you want to do?'" she said again eyes flashing and shifting to solid gold.

"What?" Harry asked, desperately trying to catch up on what was being said. Distracted as the woman's eyes changed again.

"Or better yet, where do you want to go?" her eyes were a luminous green.

"But enough of that," the Blue eyes said. "Introductions."

With that, the woman looked at him expectantly.

Shifting uncomfortably from his spot on the bench Harry did the only thing he could think to do. He was very glad that his Aunt at the very least had gifted him with good manners.

"Harry Potter, pleasure to meet you." He contemplated briefly offering his hand but decided against it.

He had obviously done something right as the woman smiled benevolently at him. The Green-eyed lady laughing softly as she murmured softly.

"Oh, I see why you like him now."

Feeling more confused than before, if that were even possible, Harry looked at her with a puzzled expression.

It was then that the golden eyes turned back to him and extended her hand to shake. "A pleasure to meet you too Harry, I'm Gaia."

Harry felt a hard lump sit in the pit of his stomach as he gingerly shook her hand. He had always joked that Fate had something against him, but this was a little ridiculous.

"Um, I don't suppose you could tell me what's going on?" Harry asked, dreading the answer and certainly not expecting a straight one.

The green eyes grinned at him before tilting her head toward the source of the pathetic whimpers. "Well, you killed all but the last fragment of Tom Riddle's soul and yourself. You are currently in the Station, a sort of limbo if that makes it any easier."

Harry nodded, that did make some sort of weird sense. He wasn't quite dead yet then, but he was certainly close. The reminder that Voldemort was still running around, however, was not a comforting thought.

"Why am I here?" Harry asked, if he was going to get straight answers for once he was going to take advantage of it while it lasted.

"We wanted to talk to you," blue eyes replied simply.

"Ah. Any particular reason?" Harry asked, feeling surprisingly calm despite the fact that he was obviously talking to, either an incredibly powerful deity like being or, a complete figment of his imagination.

"Well, it has been awhile since anyone caught our attention," blue eyes stared off into the distance that was, in fact, the barrier to Platform 9 ¾.

Harry had to stop himself groaning. Attention for him had never been a good thing, he would have been happy to fade into the background and be forgotten.

Shifting uncomfortably on the wooden bench Harry struggled to find something to say. He was saved from his dilemma, however, when golden eyes flashed and took up the conversation if it could be called that.

"It's rare when someone has the potential to keep helping after they have already fulfilled a Prophecy."

Eyes turning blue Gaia shuddered.

"A necessary evil, I'm afraid." At this Harry cast her a disbelieving look, to which she replied, "I don't play games with people's lives, Harry, I only make the Prophecies when there is an evil that threatens the world. I set them up for the best possible outcome."

Swallowing thickly Harry nodded. He felt a little better that the situation with Voldemort was not just some joke to the woman, but that did not make it any easier to deal with.

The Green eyes sparkled, "The thing is, Harry, we have come to ask your help."

Harry frowned.

"Why do you need my help?" He asked, finding his voice for the first time in minutes.

"We need your help because you have the potential to save a lot of people in the future," cool blue eyes shone soothingly.

"Meaning that you can fulfil more than a single prophecy. Making you the ideal ally for us." Gaia added as her eyes swirled green and Harry realised that whoever or whatever Gaia was she had multiple personalities.

Harry nodded, absurdly grateful for the green-eyed presence. They, at least, spoke plainly.

So he had the potential to fulfil more than one prophecy. The way she - they? - were talking about it implied 'in the future', a long way into the future.

"Um, just 'when' do you need my help?" Harry asked, feeling foolish for asking the question.

Gaia's laughter did little to ease his nerves.

"Oh, I like you! Yes, the problem we need your help with is a long way into the future yet. At least three thousand years I should think," the frank green eyes supplied.

Harry stared, a dull ringing in his ears. Three thousand years and he doubted that he would find any way back to this time. His time.

"H-how would that work exactly?" Harry asked, cursing the hitch in his voice.

"A Crystal hibernation," the gold eyes shone as Gaia replied. "We would turn you into Crystal in which state you would stay until you were needed."

To Harry, that suggestion sounded ridiculous, but then how do you tell a divine being that it was ridiculous?

And what about his friends?

"What about the people now?" he asked, hoping for a straight answer.

"We would allow you to go back to ensure that Voldemort is taken care of permanently. So you can be sure that they will live in a safe world, of course as soon as that task is done the Crystal Sleep will call you," green eyes glittered, reminding Harry of Dumbledore.

Nodding his understanding, Harry stared at the stone platform of shifting mist thinking.

He could be sure that his friends would live a full happy life, he just couldn't live it with them. He would be sleeping until he woke up somewhere far into the future and then…

"What happens when I've helped with, whatever it is? What happens to me then?"

Green eyes smiled kindly before shifting to soothing blue. "We would allow you the life you want. We would grant you a happy life, it is the least we could do."

Harry swallowed again.

A happy life far in the future where he is guaranteed that nothing will even vaguely be the same. Or, death now. Harry had no illusion that he could be allowed to live in this time.

At least this way he could guarantee his friends a life of relative peace.

Nodding his head jerkily Harry opened his mouth to accept Gaia's offer when another thought struck him.

"Will anything change that I need to know about? How will I know who to help?"

"In the world in which you will awake Magic has changed much, it resembles little of what you know today. However all you need to know of is the Sorceresses. They are far more powerful than the average magic user and that power corrupts them. It is passed down from Sorceress to Sorceress and the taint moves with the power."

Gold eyes turned to blue.

"Those Sorceresses that do not carry the tainted power have Knights that anchor their power and act as protectors. You too will have a Knight. By their standards you will be a Sorcerer, your magic is compatible only with your Knight's. You will know him for he will be the only one who can wake you."

Gaia's eyes shifted back to molten gold.

"As you sleep your magic will grow and shift to accommodate the changes, when you wake you will be capable of both the magic you know now and that of the future. The average wizard of today could pass as a Sorcerer in the future, you will be more powerful still."

Green overtook gold.

"There will be beings of great power, Guardian Forces. When they recognise you they will help you."

The smirk that danced across green eyes was somewhat unsettling for Harry as he nodded his understanding. There was still a lot he didn't know and that irked him, but at least this way he could be sure his family lived.

As Gaia stood from the bench the moans of the soul fragment filtered into Harry's conscious mind.

Gaia stepped in front of him before he could move far and green eyes focused on him.

"When you go back to the realm of the living only moments will have passed. It will not take much for you to destroy what is left of Tom Riddle, a single spell and it need not be fatal."

Green eyes smiled again, adding, "Once that is done you will be placed under the Crystal Sleep, there will be only a moment for you to say goodbye."

Harry nodded mutely. He didn't want to leave his friends, but he didn't want a drawn out goodbye either. That could only be painful. But the chance to acknowledge he wouldn't see them again was more than he expected. After all, he had walked into the forest prepared to die. This way he could leave without regret.

With that Harry walked to the exit of the Station. The light and mist changed and became solid and dirty.

Stepping through the gate Harry felt himself fall and a great weight settled upon him.

* * *

Controlling his breathing Harry cracked his eyes open to find himself in the arms of a weeping Hagrid.

Listening to the scuffling and muffled cheering around him Harry guessed that they were still in the midst of the Death Eaters. And they were celebrating. Looking above him through slitted eyes Harry could just make out the sparse branches of trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Even as he watched the branches thinned before dying out completely and Harry surmised that Voldemort was heading towards the castle.

Complete with his 'defeated' nemesis.

As Harry waited, controlling his breathing, eyes closed and listening intently to the sounds around him the cheers slowly faded.

Moments later the first scream rent the air. It wasn't long before shouting erupted and chaos ensued.

Only Ron and Hermione had known that Harry was going to the Forbidden Forest. And only they knew why. To everyone else it appeared that Harry Potter had given up.

With that thought Harry had to suppress a wince. So much for morale.

As the noise continued Harry risked opening his eyes again, Hagrid's sobs still shaking through his gigantic form.

Tilting his head minutely Harry watched with pride as Neville gave Voldemort a lecture on belief. His old dorm mate and friend had certainly come into his own this last year. Harry could hardly recognise him as the shy boy he had been at eleven.

As he watch the crowd of students and teachers across the courtyard from him Harry was surprised to see Draco Malfoy looking at him with despair.

As it was when Harry tilted his head again to focus more clearly on the blond while everyone was distracted, the youngest Malfoy was the only one to catch the slight movement and the barely slitted eyes.

Barely controlling his expression Draco watched intently as Harry twitched the fingers of his right hand, hoping against hope that the other would understand what he needed.

The slight nod of Draco's head was the only indication that the blond knew that Harry needed a wand as soon as he made his move.

Without waiting when he saw Malfoy pull the dark rod of Hawthorn from his pocket to hold loosely by his side, Harry leapt from Hagrid's arms raising a new chorus of shouts and screams. Not pausing for a beat Draco ran for Harry, tossing him his wand with a shout of 'Potter!'.

Barely registering that Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny were all in the courtyard Harry swung the wand towards the bane of his existence. But then, he expected to have a new bane in a couple of thousand years.

"Expelliarmus!" The shouted disarming spell echoed around the suddenly silent courtyard as Voldemort retaliated.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Gaia's words proved to be true however, the poisonous green light was quickly swamped by scarlet spell-light spewing from Harry's borrowed wand. As the combined effects hit the man once known as Tom Riddle, Harry began to understand what Gaia had meant.

There was only ever one spell that Voldemort would ever retaliate with and it wouldn't be strong enough to go against Harry. Not when he had lost the last of his soul-anchors.

Harry watched with everyone else as the body of Lord Voldemort hit the ground with a final thud. The breath that had been held by everyone was let out as cheers sounded.

Those Death Eaters and allies quickly divested themselves of their wands and surrendered, hoping for leniency.

Without pausing from the moment that Voldemort's body fell Harry whirled around and spotted the pale blond head of Draco Malfoy quickly. Passing the cheering students as they tried to slap him on the back Harry held out Malfoy's wand to be returned to its true owner. It would be of no

more use to him anyway.

A glance over his shoulder showed that Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny had followed him. Behind them stood Narcissa Malfoy, he husband lurking behind her trying to look as unobtrusive as possible. He didn't blame them, in the end. They had done what they had deemed necessary to protect themselves and their son. If nothing else Harry could respect that.

Whatever their feelings had been in the first war they had changed when Draco was born. A lot of people hadn't wanted to fight this war, Harry realised, as he watched the group rush towards him. The Malfoy's pushed past him with only a cursory glance and a nod of acknowledgement.

When his family was only a few feet away Harry turned back to the blonde haired family.

In a voice that everyone in the courtyard heard, though no one was quite sure how as Harry hadn't cast a sonorus charm, he said his last word to his old school rival.

"Thankyou."

It was then that Harry felt it. It began at his core and spread outward. It wasn't hot, nor cold, nor particularly painful. It was like his body was finally relaxing for a long sleep and it had been so long since he had last slept without nightmares that Harry found himself oddly looking forward to the millennia of dreamless sleep awaiting him.

Looking over at his friends, his family, one last time as everyone became aware of the magic swirling around him Harry smiled.

It was one of few true smiles he had had cause to give in the last few years.

"Goodbye."

No noise, beyond the stir of magic as it whirled around him interrupted as Harry Potter, slowly at first and then all at once, let the Crystal seep into his skin.

In the end there was nothing left but a Crystal statue that was in the image of the Boy-Who-Lived.


	2. The Trouble With Guardians

The Trouble With Guardians:

Squall Leonhart groaned as Dr. Kadowaki left him on the far too hard hospital bed. The pain between his eyes had lessened to a dull throb, but the pain had spread through the rest of his head resulting in a headache that could fell a T-Rexaur.

The sound of the door opening prompted the SeeD trainee to raise his head and glare at whoever had entered the room. Unfortunately for him, Instructor Quistis Trepe had been rendered immune to his glare through prolonged exposure.

"I knew it would either be you or Seifer," Instructor Trepe said, an exasperated tone in her voice.

Squall frowned. He could have sworn that he put Seifer in the hospital as well. He had a tendency to give as good as he got, so when Seifer Almasy had drawn blood and scarred Squall's face he returned the favour.

He must have escaped then. Squall thought tiredly, it was no secret that both young men loathed anything to do with the medical bay.

"Are you going to come back to class or do I have to call Dr. Kadowaki back?" Trepe asked amusement in her eyes.

Squall almost groaned at that. A headache was better than the Garden's resident Dr. breathing down his neck.

Hauling himself to his feet Squall noticed that his balance was remarkably good given that he had just been hit on the head with a very heavy sword and supposed that despite his dislike of Dr's and hospitals in general Kadowaki did actually know what she was doing.

Following Trepe out of the door to the medical bay without another word Squall let his thoughts wander. If all went well he would be graduating as SeeD within the next few weeks.

The next few days if an opportunity arose that could be used as an exam.

"What's on your mind?" Trepe's overly inquisitive voice broke into Squall's musings as he gave the standard answer.

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

Squall frowned as she answered with him. If she knew what the answer was going to be then why did she bother asking?

Squall's frown only deepened as Quistis laughed happily.

"What?"

"Oh, I just feel like I'm finally beginning to understand my student a little," The Instructor answered gaily.

Squall wanted to say that he was more complicated than she thought but even in his head it sounded ridiculous. He doubted that Instructor Trepe really understood him on any level. Despite her probing questions that he seemed to spend far too much time fobbing off.

Shrugging his shoulders Squall followed her into the classroom on the second floor, noticing that Seifer was already there. Squall smirked when he noticed that they had matching bandages. They would be able to come off in about an hour, but Dr. Kadowaki was irritatingly strict when it came to keeping fresh wounds clean. Even if they had been healed by magic.

Taking his seat across the aisle from Seifer at the back of the room Squall turned his attention to the front.

Trepe stood there and tried to act imposing. She failed miserably. For all that she was a battle hardened SeeD, she just did not do imposing.

"Alright, today we have some SeeD exams to be completed. All those who passed the written exam are to meet in parking at 16:00. All those who have yet to complete their written exam have Study Hall for the rest of the day. For those taking the exam, they have free time for the day to tidy up any loose ends or prerequisites that need to be taken care of." Trepe glanced at Squall briefly as she said this. He frowned and sunk into his seat a little more.

He had one prerequisite he had to finish. Though he was loath to do so as Quistis was the standard Instructor for the trip to the Fire Cavern and he wanted to spend as little time alone in her company as possible.

Still, it had to be done. The low-level Guardian Force would be useful during the exam if nothing else. Ifrit was a powerful ally to have so early in the Garden.

As it was Squall was already ahead of most trainees as they only had Quezacotl. He had earned Shiva's favour two years ago, exploring the lower foothills of the mountains just north of the Garden.

As the rest of the class filed out of the room Squall patiently waited to be called by the Instructor.

"Squall, you haven't been to Fire Cavern yet. Have you got a valid excuse?" She asked. It may have been intimidating on any other teacher. As it was she just came across as nosey.

"Not really." Squall sighed internally at the raised eyebrows that comment earned.

"Well, you won't be able to go on the exam this afternoon if you don't pass this prerequisite. Unless you have any other commitments I'll meet you at the front gate in half an hour." Trepe said glancing back down to her clipboard as she spoke.

Squall suppressed another sigh and nodded.

"Yes, Instructor."

* * *

Squall groaned internally when he arrived at the front gate.

Moving up to the Instructor Squall waited as patiently as he could while she recited the junctioning methods. Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes Squall wondered just what she thought he was. If he had not known how to junction by now he never would have passed the written exam let alone survived on the Balamb plains when he decided that the cramped quarters of the training area were too much for him.

All the same Trepe was making a good point. Squall shifted as he turned his attention inwards and checked his junctions. Focusing on Shiva for the time being he made sure that all the blizzard spells he had were linked to his attack and fire to his defense. There was no point walking into a place called the 'Fire Cavern' without being appropriately prepared.

"Are you ready?" Quistis voice registered as Squall turned his attention outwards again.

Not bothering to answer he nodded.

The path to the Cavern was well worn, at least in places. Most students wandered from the path, picking off as many Bug Bites and Caterchipillars as possible to draw magic and gain as much experience as they could. For all Squall wanted to spend the shortest possible time in Instructor Trepes company he was short on cures. Deviating from the path into the forest Squall headed towards the mountains where he could pick off Glacial Eyes for Blizzards and Cures until he was satisfied.

Ignoring the soft huffs of amusement coming from behind him, Squall headed for the mountain just north of the Fire Cavern.

Several short battles later Squall was willing to admit that for all her incompetency as an Instructor Quistis knew what she was doing. Filled to the brim with Blizzard spells and Cures Squall turned his attention back towards the forest and the Fire Cavern to the south.

Moving down the overgrown path in the forest, dodging low hanging branches and creeping vines trying to trip them over, Squall was for the first time glad that Quistis was with him.

"This isn't good."

"What?" Squall asked glancing around the clearing.

"We should move," Trepe said her voice steady and serious.

Stumbling into the clearing was, at first, a relief from the suffocating closeness of the thick foliage. Upon closer inspection, however, Squall agreed with Trepe's suggestion to run wholeheartedly. Intruding in a T-Rexaur nest was considered one of the more painful ways to commit suicide. Even for Rank A SeeD's.

Through the forest on the other side of the clearing, Squall heard an angry roar.

"Run!" Trepe shouted even as she broke into a sprint, dodging trees as best she could.

Squall was not far behind her, taking full advantage of his longer legs.

In the close confines of the forest, they quickly lost the beast, but even so it had been a close call and Squall had no intention of ever repeating the experience.

Finally free of the constricting trees Squall paused for a moment to catch his breath. Quistis beside him as they concentrated on getting air into their lungs.

After a few moments Quistis straightened, glancing at the watch on her wrist.

"We should get moving. You still have to finish the Fire Cavern, and then get back for the exam."

Squall nodded, straightening himself and taking off down the rough stone path leading into the Cavern.

The two Garden faculty members outside the entrance of the Cavern turned to follow their progress down the path, or at least Squall assumed that was what they were doing as their heavy robes and over large hats made it difficult to see what they were doing.

Behind him, Quistis began talking.

"I'll be your support only for this exam. What we find in there you're going to have to deal with but I follow your orders. If you don't tell me to do something then I won't do it. Understood?" It was probably the most serious that Squall had ever heard her.

"Understood."

Nodding in satisfaction Quistis deftly dodged around him on the stony ground and started addressing the Faculty.

"One trainee for SeeD prerequisite exam. Instructor Trepe will be the observing Instructor for this exam. Facility ID: 14." The Garden Faculty said nothing as one of them made a notation on the clipboard they had pulled from their overlarge sleeves.

The other Faculty member turned to Squall.

"Which time limit would you like to set yourself? It should be challenging but still reasonable." The dull monotonous tone of the Faculty left Squall with a feeling of lethargy.

Turning his mind to the task at hand Squall considered his options. He knew that the path to the Guardian Force wasn't overly long, but he had no idea how many monsters he would encounter and subduing the Force always took time.

But still...challenging.

"Give me fifteen minutes."

Quistis glanced at him, a curious and appraising look evident on her face. The last trainee to finish the test in under twenty minutes had been Seifer and he had yet to pass a SeeD examination. He had been on three already.

As the first Faculty member made a final note on his clipboard his companion pulled a stopwatch from one drooping sleeve.

As the timer was set and the robed figures cleared the entrance to the Cavern Squall needed no further prompting to set off into the dark and stiflingly hot cave system.

Squall was glad he had only given himself fifteen minutes. It meant that he wouldn't have to spend any longer in Trepe's company. Yes, she was a good SeeD but why did she insist on talking so much? And was it truly necessary to bring up her fan club?

"You know most guys choke when they do this exam with me." Quistis voice echoed out from behind him.

Hearing her Squall almost did choke. She couldn't seriously be going there could she? Sure she was only a year older than him but she was still a teacher, his teacher. And he honestly wasn't interested, he never had been.

As she opened her mouth to say something else Squall had never been so glad at the sight of monsters. A few bombs that he was very glad for have stocked up on Blizzard's for.

Ahead of him, just around the next bend Squall was grateful to see the deep Fire Pit that held the GF. No sooner had they clambered onto the cleared rocky ledge surrounded by smaller fire pits that sent a flickering glow into the unseen darkness, that the rumbling reverberated throughout the cave system.

A quick glance at Quistis told Squall that this wasn't exactly Ifrit's usual welcome to prospective SeeDs.

It wasn't much longer before the Guardian Force leapt from the Pit. Teeth bared in what at first seemed to be a ferocious snarl. On closer inspection, however, the flickering light of the fires revealed that the black eyes held laughter. The rumbling laughter emanated from the Forces chest again.

Feeling braver now Squall squared his shoulders, lifting his gunblade into a defense position.

"What's so funny?" He asked, only just then questioning the wisdom of mocking a creature several thousand years old.

"Oh, nothing is funny. But it is good to see that you have finally made it. You're several hundred years late," the rumbling answer vibrating their bones.

"What?" Squall asked before he could stop himself. Late? Maybe the GF's had finally gone mad in their old age.

"You'll understand soon enough," the Fire Lord said simply. "But for now you are subject to the same tests as the rest them. Let us see if you can beat me mortal."

Squall and Quistis were given no more warning than that as the fireball came hurtling at them. Dodging to either side Squall shouted over his shoulder. Giving Trepe the order she had demanded he give.

"Focus of ice spells!"

With that, they were given no more time to talk, dodging out of the way of a viciously clawed hand Squall rolled to his feet and called on the strongest Blizzard he could. As he waited for Shiva to answer his summons.

When the Ice Queen stood in Squall's place, leaving a confused Quistis on one side, Ifrit smirked.

"I should have known he found you already."

"Of course, I was never known for my patience and he beat me fairly," Shiva replied even as she charged her own attack on the other Guardian Force.

Ifrit was chuckling even as the icy blast of Diamond Dust knocked him down and Squall returned to the battle as Shiva was dismissed.

"Enough! You have beaten me fairly mortal. I will join you."

Squall frowned. Sparing a look at Quistis Squall noticed that the expression of confusion and surprise had been firmly lodged and he wondered what his summons had done to surprise her so much.

"We should be heading back then," Squall said to get her attention though she only nodded absently as she followed him towards the entrance and the waiting Garden Faculty.

In the end, Squall was surprised that his fight with Ifrit had only taken a few minutes. Despite Quistis' awkward questions and the strange encounter with the Lord of Fire..

Satisfied with setting a new record for the Fire Cavern, Squall made his way gratefully back to the Garden. Quistis dragging behind him. While he was curious he wasn't about to ask her what was on her mind. He hated it when others intruded on his thoughts. The least he could do was let her think in peace. It also meant that she wasn't bugging him.

However, like all good things, Squall's peace and quiet return journey to Garden was interrupted when Trepe broke the fragile silence.

"Do you know what Ifrit meant?" There was genuine confusion in her tone as she shot Squall a suspicious look.

Squall looked at her. He could always say he didn't know what she was talking about, but that would only be an insult to both of them. For all of her faults, Quistis Trepe was no idiot.

"No."

"No, you don't know what he meant? Or no, you won't answer?" Trepe pushed and Squall suspected that she was enjoying the valid excuse to grill him for answers.

"No, I don't know what he meant. And he's refusing to answer me now." Squall said in an effort to placate her.

He should have known that that would not happen.

"So what do you think he could have meant. 'You're several hundred years late'? Hmm?"

Squall honestly didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't know what the Guardian Force had meant. How was he even supposed to find out? The being was several millennia old and he was barely seventeen?

But all the same. What had he meant? 'You're late.'

Squall shrugged his shoulders in answer to Quistis before turning and continuing on his way back to Balamb Garden. There was no point asking useless questions. Especially since the GF had promised that he would 'understand eventually'.

Something in his gut told him that he would be getting that answer sooner than he would like. And when it came it would not be an answer that was easy to deal with.

They didn't encounter many monsters on the way back through the forest. Only a few wayward caterchipillars that fell from the canopy at unfortunate times. The monsters, Squall mused, could smell the new Guardian Force. He had been similarly avoided when he first acquired Shiva and Quezacoatl. It never lasted, but he knew to take advantage of it while it did.

The rest of the walk was spent in blissful silence and Squall was relieved when the rings over the Garden came into view. For one morning, it had been far too tiring.

As they approached the front gate Quistis shattered the silence again.

"Don't forget that the SeeD exam starts this afternoon. Be in the front lobby at 16:00 sharp, and don't forget to wear your uniform. It's one of the reason's Seifer never passes." Quistis said ruefully.

Amongst the teaching staff Seifer Almasy had become a bit of a difficult case. He was brilliant certainly, Squall was one of those that knew just how good he was, but he lacked any form of discipline. And that was his downfall.

Squall was determined to not let it be him. Had been since he figured out what Seifer's problem was.

"Understood," Squall said before moving off. Making for the cafeteria.

 **A/N:** Alrighty, as you can probably tell things are being edited. Actually fresh writing is also happening but I want to fix things before I keep going much more. This is one of those times when you wish you had plotted ahead before you took pen to paper...so to speak. Basically, I forgot what happened and have to rework things to make sense. Sorry to all readers. :) Maybe things will turn out better this time anyway, I picked up a worrisome number of grammar errors.


	3. The Crystal Statue

The Crystal Statue:

It had been a long morning and he needed something to eat. Something other than those ridiculous hot-dogs that the rest of the student population were so enamoured of. Squall shuddered at the thought that there could easily be dog meat in those things and you would never know they were so highly flavoured.

Opting for the salad instead, not that he had been in time for the hot dogs anyway, Squall moved to find his usual solitary seat. Not for the first time wondering precisely why none of the other students sat anywhere near him. He didn't mind people, certainly he liked his peace but he wasn't a hermit.

Of course there was the little fact that he absolutely couldn't stand any of the other students. One or two were alright but being in the presence of some of the others was too much effort.

So Squall sat alone and continued to be an enigma to the majority of the Garden's population.

With his meal finished Squall glanced at the clock and wasted no time in getting to the dorm rooms and fitting himself into the much-loathed trainee uniform and heading out to the main lobby in the central building of the Garden.

For all that the Garden was a school, it was unquestionably grand. The massive iridescent rings spanning the entirety of the complex and glowing faintly even in the daylight. The beautifully kept gardens and ponds between the central buildings and the outer complex were immaculate and tended to absorb the chaotic sound of the school and so where one of Squall's favourite places to hide from the world while he studied one thing or another.

Now though they were crowded as new recruits and old tried to catch a glimpse of the latest SeeD candidates that could easily be SeeD by the end of the afternoon.

It would be good for the school as the annual ball was the next day. It was always good to have freshly graduated SeeD's for the Garden to show off.

Especially for Squall. If he passed this exam he would be the first gunblade specialist to come out of the three Garden's in over a decade. Although Seifer wielded a gunblade even he had to confess that Squall was the better swordsman. Though it was a close match, the incident this morning proved that. Seifer could hold his own.

Shaking his head Squall navigated his way through the crowd, drawing his fair share of attention despite his best efforts.

It would not do to let his rivalry with Seifer get the better of him. Particularly when the other young man was taking the same exam. Knowing Squall's luck he would be assigned Seifer as his squad leader and he would not let the older man taunt him into doing something stupid. 

For all that Seifer was the closest thing he had to a friend in Garden no one could get under his skin like he could.

As he approached the wide area of the walkway at the centre of the lobby Squall sighed internally. He would definitely have Seifer as his squad leader. Quistis was in charge of assigning the teams. Squall wondered, not for the first time, if she was simply unobservant or insisted on putting the two men together as some sort of test.

Seifer definitely tested his patience.

"Ah! Squall, you're with... Zell Dincht. Quite a lively fellow." Trepe remarked as he came to a halt in front of her.

Lively? Zell was simply loud. Squall bit his tongue from saying as much as the young man came into sight. Obviously burning off more of his copious energy performing stunts and flips to the applause of the curious onlookers.

It was funny, Squall thought idly, that no matter how irritating Zell could be he was one of the few other SeeD candidates that he could bear the company of. He also hated Seifer Almasy which meant that Squall would be spending this exam trying to stop him punching the arrogant blond.

"Hey! So I'm with you huh?" Zell announced loudly as he landed in front of Squall, hand outstretched.

Squall was tempted not to take the offered hand. Raising his eyebrows, Squall returned the handshake, causing a number of surprised mutters to surface in the watching trainees and SeeD alike. It was no secret that Squall very rarely returned any nicety if he played nice with someone it wasn't for any petty gain. It was one of the reasons that so many SeeD group leaders watched his progress. If he passed today's exam he would have no shortage of willing mentors.

"Your squad leader is..." Quistis paused as she glanced down again at her clipboard. "Seifer Almasy."

"WHAT!" Zell shouted, suitably appalled.

Squall was silent as usual quietly thinking 'Called It!'.

"Can't that be changed?" Zell asked, a desperate plea in his voice. It was then that Squall remembered precisely how miserable Seifer made Zell's life. Ever since the younger boy had come to Garden Seifer had seemed to have it out for the shorter blond.

"Sorry, no changes," Trepe replied with an emotionless voice. Squall shifted to Zell's left, catching the shorter man's attention.

"Hey, you don't like Seifer either, do you?" Zell said, the desperate timbre of his voice still present.

In answer Squall shrugged. He might be willing to acknowledge that Seifer got under his skin to himself, but the day he openly said so was the day that hell would freeze over.

Zell seemed satisfied with the non-verbal answer, however, and seemed to gain back some of his previous vitality. Jumping around the lobby as the Headmaster entered for his usual speech. In response much of the curious onlookers fled. Headmaster Cid was excellent at administration certainly, there had never been an issue in the running of the Garden, but his 'inspirational speeches' left something to be desired.

Looking around the assembled candidates Squall supposed that Seifer had the right idea, showing up late.

"Thankyou," Cid began "as you know the SeeD program is one of the most demanding on Gaia and as such I'm sure that you will do your best in the exam. Remember the first purpose of SeeD, to..."

A Garden Faculty member broke into Cid's, admittedly abysmal speech, to the shock of more than a few of the SeeD's and trainees alike. Surely this was not a normal thing?

"I think Headmaster..."

It seemed though that Cid, for all that he was an ageing rotund man had a backbone. Sending a glare that would have done Squall proud at the Faculty member he continued over the top of the robed man's words.

"The first purpose of the SeeD to guard against the mad power of Sorceresses, and to always look for the Crystal Sorcerer. Thank You."

A highly satisfied look on his face Headmaster Cid left the lobby looking at the candidates with interest as he exited via the elevator, back to his office of the third floor.

Squall watched him leave, a slight frown on his face. He knew the rule regard the Sorceresses. SeeD had been created in the hope of stopping all future Sorceress wars, but he had always thought that the Prophecy of the Crystal Sorcerer was just a myth. Apparently Cid thought otherwise and given that the Headmaster was seldom wrong when it came to things like this Squall only wondered what had come to the older man's attention.

Squall's attention was slammed back into the lobby of Balamb Garden, however, when Seifer Almasy decided that it was time for his entrance.

Strolling through the last dregs of the curious watchers Seifer cut an impressive figure. Squall stifled a groan, it was one of the reasons the blond was so very arrogant.

"Alright! Squad D listens up. 'Work together' means keep out of my way. Stick to that and we'll get along just fine." The tall blond said, a cocky smirk curling his lips as he watched his assigned 'team'.

Squall was too busy trying not to snort or roll his eyes at the others antics to respond while Zell was left fuming desperate for some excuse to rip into the larger man.

With the teams ordered it wasn't long before they were in the car and headed on their way to Balamb town and the Port there.

It was a quiet ride for the most part and Squall let himself slump in his seat as he listened absently to the angry mutterings of Zell beside him.

When Seifer made to open his mouth and something he would probably regret Squall was glad for one of the few times that Quistis was with them. And it seemed that she was rethinking her original plan to place them together.

"When we arrive in Dollet there will be battle situations right from the moment we land so make sure you're ready." The usual drill droned out as Trepe continued fighting the tension building in the enclosed space.

Squall did his best to ignore everyone. It was easier.

Squall didn't think he had ever been so glad for a journey to end. The arrival at the docks at Balamb was met with relief from all parties. Even Seifer if the easing tension in his shoulders was any indication.

Of course all good things must come to an end, and the relief of the open space was short lived as the SeeD in charge of the Garden forces during the exam, Xu, ushered them all into the equally cramped quarters of the SeeD ship.

Thankfully the speed of the ships meant that what could easily be a painfully long journey of days was shortened into only a few hours.

After the short and concise briefing, Squall found himself willingly following one of Seifer's orders and hastened out onto the turret deck. Watching as the distant coastline of the Galbadian continent came closer and the busy metropolis that was Dollet came into view.

Squall's breath hitched in his throat as he watched the fireballs shoot into the sky and the distant screams started to reach his ears. For the first time, he considered what he was going to do. These were no mere monsters that could barely think beyond finding a meal, these were living, breathing, thinking men and women with families and friends that would mourn them and miss them. Shifting uneasily as the breakwater wall came into sight Squall wondered if he would be mourned if he fell in this exam.

Returning to the cramped cabin space Squall gave Seifer a cursory nod

"We're nearly there." He stated simply, watching with a growing feeling of detachment as the rest of the Squad made sure they had everything they needed for the thirtieth time and stood as the rough jolt of the ship indicated that they had finally reached land.

Stumbling out onto the sandy beach Squall fought the bile rising in his throat at the bodies of dead soldiers lying strewn along the beach and wharf. He chose to be a mercenary, these men and women had been fighting for their home. Letting the detachment seize him again Squall turned to Quistis as she gave them their final orders before dispatch.

"You're to secure the town square, helping any allies along the way and dealing with all G-Army troops in the area. Order to withdraw takes priority." Quistis said matter of factly nodding at the affirmative that came from two-thirds of the Squad.

Seifer grumbled about being given the boring work before nodding grudgingly.

"Alright! Squad D, move out!" Shouting enthusiastically Seifer charged across the beach and up the stairs into the city proper.

Squall paused once or twice up the beach casting cures on any ally soldiers that showed signs of life. Zell, seeing what he was doing was quick to help while Seifer waited impatiently at the top of the stairs.

Having done all they could for those on the beach and beginning to really want to do some damage to the Galbadian's, Squall and Zell followed Seifer up the stairs only to find the older blond being attacked by a group of enemy soldiers.

"You took your time wusses!" Seifer shouted as he parried another blow from the Galbadian.

Not bothering to answer verbally Squall charged forward. Driving the blade of his weapon deep into the chest of one of the blue-clad soldiers. Letting his emotions remain detached for the battle Squall ripped the gunblade from the soldier's flesh before turning it on the rest of the attacking Galbadian's.

Zell was facing off with an enemy mage, from what he could see and holding his own remarkably well for a hand to hand combat specialist in a war of guns and swords.

Seifer was struggling a little more with three swordsmen and a gunman harrying him.

Grunting softly Squall shifted his grip on his Revolver, twisting it in a way that preserved movement yet gained the maximum power to strike and deftly detached the gunman's head from his shoulders. Not pausing at the brief lull in the battle as the other Galbadian's looked to see what had stopped the fire of bullets. Squall dove at the nearest enemy soldier even as Seifer took advantage of the distraction. The swordsmen fell in short order, Squall and Seifer sparred often enough that they could maneuver easily with each other.

With the immediate threat dealt with Squall glanced over to Zell, the mage either dead or unconscious at he feet.

"Let's go!" Seifer said, the light of battle still present in his eyes.

The bile at the back of his throat tried to make a comeback as they ventured further into the city.

It was not only the soldiers that had been attacked, wounded and dead civilians huddled in the shadows of the buildings as the SeeD trainees passed. Squall frowned and sent as many cures out to them as he could spare, but his stocks of the healing spell were draining fast and he would have to watch his supply unless they stumbled across a draw point. As much as he wished he could help these innocents caught up in the petty squabbles of politics, he had to look after himself and his team first.

Each time that he killed Squall carefully shunted the guilt aside, there would be time enough to deal with it later. For now he needed to focus.

When they arrived in the square Squall frowned, if the Dollet militia had been driven out of the city centre then where were the soldiers that had driven them out? Surely there should be more than the few he and Zell had found when scouting the area?

He listened absently as Seifer complained about the boredom of being on standby, shouting out that he wanted to fight and was the enemy too afraid to face him.

Even as the stray dog began to howl Squall was shifting his stance already preparing either to fight or hide as the sounds of running footsteps reached their ears.

Even Seifer for all of his words saw the wisdom in hiding.

Ducking down behind one of the ornamental facades that rimmed the square Squall and the others watched as a score of Galbadian soldiers trekked through the square watching carefully for any signs of life.

Squall frowned as he held himself as still as he could. What were they doing? Why had Galbadia attacked Dollet in the first place? They had been relatively peaceful neighbours, so what did the Dukedom have that the Empire wanted?

As Squall thought the last of the enemy soldiers flitted down one of the darkening streets. Seifer and Zell it seemed had been thinking along the same lines as Squall.

"Where the hell are they going?" Zell asked softly.

"Our next destination," Seifer announced grandly.

Squall wanted to roll his eyes, but he understood that this was a chance to find out what the Galbadian's wanted. Information that neither Dollet nor SeeD had. If they followed the soldiers now they could potentially shift the tide of this war.

"But our orders," Zell said though even he seemed to think that going after the soldiers was the better plan. If it had been only a handful of soldiers passing through he might have protested more loudly. But the sheer number of troops boded ill for Dollet and SeeD alike.

"You chickening out, Wuss?" Seifer asked looking at Zell askance.

Zell turned bright red but shook his head. He would follow the Squad Captain's orders.

"Alright then! Let's go." Seifer said, turning gleefully down the same street the Galbadian's entered.

Squall followed, watching carefully for any sign of the enemy. In such close quarters, the possibility of ambush was high.

They followed the sounds of the Galbadian troops to the base of the mountain just outside the city, the path leading up the mountain to the communications tower was ignored, however. Only a small contingent of soldiers running up the steps.

Pausing to send a cure or potion to the fallen Dollet soldiers Squall, Zell and Seifer ignored the smaller group absently noting that another Squad of candidates left the cover of the city's outer limits to follow them and continued around the base of the mountain only to stumble to a halt as a massive crater was revealed.

"Wha..."Zell muttered under his breath.

Creeping as close as possible with what cover they could find, Squall noticed that the crater was an excavation site. Massive and crude enough that it could have been formed in only a day as the Galbadian military created the distraction.

Separating from Zell and Seifer, Squall circled the pit until he found a point that was covered by piles of rubble where he could find a vantage point to look over the lip of the pit and see what they were burying.

Or digging up.

Squall couldn't see much through the milling crowd of workers and scientists in their flapping white coats. However as the light in the sky diminished the gigantic floodlights illuminated the area.

As the light shone down into the previously shadowed depths of the crater a cascade of rainbow light danced along the edges of the pit. Squall was aware as Seifer and Zell crept up to him, gasping as they looked down at a Crystal statue. Only half uncovered and still buried in dirt and great stone slabs surrounding it.

If it was the genuine Crystal Sorcerer they couldn't allow the Galbadian's to take it. As SeeD, they were sworn to the protection of the Crystal, even if they were only trainees.

"Hey, there you are." An excited voice said behind them causing the three young men to jump and twist around awkwardly on the uneven ground.

Behind them was a girl, or more correctly a young woman about their own age with light brown hair and wearing a trainee uniform.

Seifer scowled at the girl before gesturing with his hand that she was to be quiet.

A look of curiosity passed across her face as she crept up to join them at the lip of the pit, gasping softly when she saw what it was that the Galbadian's were digging up. What they had started a war to find.

Turning back to the three members of Squad D she grimaced.

"I'm a messenger. All units are to fall back by 14:00 hours, they're calling retreat." Glancing into the pit Squall knew that they would not be on that boat unless they could successfully save the Crystal.

"That still gives us an hour. At the rate their digging him up we might make it if we act fast when the Crystal is free." Seifer said a thoughtful look on his face.

Squall nodded. The feeling of anticipation that had been growing since that afternoon finally settling.

"Alright," Zell said softly, curbing his usual energetic response. "But how do we get him from here to the boat?"

"We can hijack one of their vehicles." Squall contributed softly, even as a rumbling growl of an over large engine met their senses.

Looking over to the other side of the pit, the messenger gasped eyes going wide. On the far side was a gigantic tank. Wondering why they had a machine like that when dealing with something so precious the four SeeD candidates crept along the edge of the pit until they were just above one of the white coats talking with a red-garbed Captain of the Galbadian Army.

"How soon till we have a clear shot?" The Captain asked briskly.

"Another few minutes. We have enough of him showing, but we want as little support for the structure as we can. We don't want the Crystal surviving." The white coat said in a monotonous voice that suggested that he had been answering a similar question for the last two days of the Galbadian attack on Dollet.

Squall nearly choked on air as the implications of what the white-coated figure had said sunk in. They were trying to destroy the Crystal. The same Crystal that had come to represent the hope of so many that Gaia could be at peace again and flourish into the truly mighty cities that the world had once boasted.

"Understood. Thank you, Doctor. The Ambassador will be pleased." The Galbadian Captain said before moving away and gesturing to a group of loitering soldiers.

They retreated from their lookout at the edge of the excavation pit.

Squall, glancing around the others, noticed that they looked the way he felt. Like someone had just punched him in the stomach.

"We have to do something." It was Zell who said that, drawing the attention of the others to him.

"We're short on time and we can't rely on them to dig him out for us. If anyone's got a plan that doesn't involve our deaths now's the time to say it." Seifer said, oddly quiet.

"What about some sort of distraction?" The messenger asked softly.

Squall frowned, it would give them more time. But more time to do what exactly?

"And what then?" He asked simply turning to her.

Biting her lip the female candidate jumped as Zell burst out.

"What's your name anyway?"

"Oh! Selphie Tilmitt, I just transferred from Trabia." Selphie replied looking around the rest of the group, hoping for further introductions.

"Seifer Almasy," the tall blond said before indicating Squall and Zell, "this is Squall Leonhart and Zell Dincht."

Selphie nodded at them, and Squall got the impression that if they had been in any other situation it would have been hard to cope with her bright personality.

Frowning at his feet as he leant against one of the built up mounds of displaced earth Squall thought about the problem at hand. They had to find a way to finish excavating the Crystal, without damaging it and stop the Galbadian's from destroying it. Though why they wanted to destroy it Squall didn't know and he suspected that the rest of the Squad was similarly in the dark.

"We take out the tank," Selphie said after a moment of silent contemplation.

Much to Squall's surprise it was Zell who took up the plan.

"Take out the tank and they haven't got anything to destroy it with."

Squall's frown cleared.

"If they haven't got anything to destroy it with here then they need to dig it out completely to take elsewhere. Once they're done we find a way to save him from there." Squall murmured softly as the sounds of heavy machinery began drifting up to them from the base of the excavation site.

Seifer looked from one member of the group to the other before grumbling softly under his breath.

"Alright." Looking up at Selphie and Zell. "You too are our light hitters, can you sabotage that tank?"

Seifer's question was met with matching grins that should have sent any sane person running for the nearest bunker. They immediately turned and made their way back to the edge of the pit to get a better look at the tank.

When Seifer turned back to Squall he had a bemused expression on his face and Squall realised that it was probably one of the few times he had seen Zell Dincht when he was genuinely terrifying.

Squall had been in the cafeteria that one day they ran out of hot dogs ... it was an experience he would rather forget.

"I take it we cover them?" Squall asked simply.

Seifer nodded.

Before a thought made him stop looking at Squall with his eyes narrowed.

"No, I'll cover them. I want you to stay back. SeeD squads are usually only three. You hang back and only step in when we need you. Even if we get caught, but still manage to take down the tank you stay and get the Crystal safe. Understand?"

Squall was surprised, but it made sense tactically. The element of surprise. Seifer always had been a very good tactician.

"Understood," Squall said evenly nodding at Seifer before offering his hand, something he hadn't ever done for the older blond.

Seifer seemed surprised by Squall's reaction but accepted the hand nonetheless. Straightening to follow the two saboteurs Seifer paused once to look back at Squall, an odd look on his face before he continued up to the edge of the pit.

Hanging back for a few minutes Squall waited until he heard the first explosion.

Crawling up to the safest vantage point he could find Squall wasn't that surprised to see that the tank had smoke pouring from its turret and just under the rim of the access hatch. It had obviously been successfully sabotaged. Though how Zell and Selphie had managed to do it in so short amount of time was beyond Squall.

The shouts of soldiers were echoing around the site. On the far side of the pit, Squall could just make out the forms of Seifer and Zell back to back as they took out at least a dozen Galbadian soldiers before collapsing themselves.

Selphie was on the other side of the tank, hiding from the searching eyes of the soldiers and scientists.

Clenching his hands into fists Squall wished there was something he could do, but if he did something now he would never get the chance they needed to free the Crystal from Galbadian control.

Gritting his teeth, Squall watched as Selphie was dragged out into the piercing glare of the floodlights.

The soldiers seemed satisfied with the three captured SeeD candidates and while security around them strengthened two fold the rest of the excavation sight had become rather lax in that regard.

Just below, and to the right of his vantage point in the shadow of one of the earth mounds, Squall could hear the voices of who he assumed to be the lead scientist and the Galbadian Captain again. Discussing the tank most likely.

Straining his ears over the drone of vehicles around the pit, Squall was pleased to hear that their plan had worked.

"The tanks had it, bloody SeeD," The Captain grumbled something unpleasant under his breath before continuing. "We'll have to take the Crystal with us to destroy it properly. Unless our handguns would work?" The Captain sounded hopeful and Squall prayed that he was wrong.

"No luck, I'm afraid. It was a long shot that the tank would work to be honest. The Crystal is stronger than we first thought. More like a diamond than any lesser stone. And the magic pouring off that thing is incredible." The scientist sighed. If Squall didn't know better he would have thought that the woman was beginning to regret having to destroy it.

Squall missed her next words as another truck dumped a load of earth onto the pile he was huddled against, resulting in a torrent of earth covering his back. Squall groaned internally as grains of the sandy soil trickled down the back of his neck and into his shirt and creases of his pants. On the upside, he was well and truly hidden from sight now.

"...done in the next ten minutes." The scientist said before walking away, back towards the centre of the site and the Crystal statue that was revealed as the minutes ticked by.

Ten minutes. Squall assumed that that was their estimated time to finish digging up the Crystal. It would give him just enough time to get out the excavation site and find a place he could ambush the truck that was being set up to carry away the Crystal from. He could hope for a way to free the rest of the Squad as well, but his first priority was the Crystal.

Glancing at the watch around his wrist Squall noticed that he and the others had twenty minutes to get to the beach to withdraw. He hoped that they made it, he couldn't hold off an entire army without somewhere to retreat.

It took Squall five minutes to find a suitable bend in the road and secure a vantage point from which he could ambush the large canvas covered truck he had seen being set up for the removal of the Crystal.

Sitting on his heels Squall watched the bend in the road intently. Glancing at his watch he noted that they only had fifteen minutes left. It was going to be a tight schedule.

To his surprise and relief, the truck and an accompanying convoy appeared around the corner sooner than expected. Analysing the truck Squall was surprised to note that in a separate cage-like structure on the back, left uncovered by the canvas, were his three captured team-mates.

He could save them and secure the Crystal at the same time.

Letting out a breath Squall forced himself to relax, just as the first members of the convoy passed beneath him.

Knowing he would have to act quickly, Squall decided against wasting time freeing his team now, instead jumping down directly onto the cabin of the truck. Tucking himself around the side of the vehicle Squall wrenched open the driver side door even as shouts began to echo off the high cliffs surrounding them.

It didn't take much effort for Squall to dispatch the driver and knock out the guard in the passenger seat. Grabbing a hold of the wheel Squall found himself absurdly grateful that the Garden taught students how to drive any vehicle. Even if they didn't particularly want to learn as he recalled his own reluctance in taking the lessons.

Diverting the truck quickly at the nearest turnoff into the city proper Squall instinctively ducked as the sound of gunfire ricocheted off the metal of the lower part of the truck. He prayed silently that the rest of the team was alright.

Pressing down on the gas pedal Squall made a beeline for the shore and the waiting SeeD ships. Glancing at his watch Squall noted that they had another eight minutes to get there. Taking a sharp turn Squall winced as the sounds of several convoy bikes crashing into the street fronts resounded through the city. At least the Garden members would know that they were coming now.

Taking another sharp turn as gunfire began again Squall jumped as a groan emanated from the prone form beside him. Not willing to take any risks Squall reached over and struck the guard over the head again. Returning his attention to the road Squall swerved dangerously as the tide wall leading down to the beach appeared at the end of the street. There wasn't much else to do but crash the truck through the wall and hope for the best on the sand. It wasn't far, barely a hundred meters from there to the waiting SeeD ship that Squall could make out, swarming with crew and SeeD as they caught sight of them.

Revving up the engine Squall braced himself against the back of the seat and sped up in the last few meters to the low wall.

It was a rather anti-climactic crash, all things considered. Squall will forever be grateful that it had been both a low wall and that the Dollet Architects liked curving surfaces. So rather than smashing through the block as he had thought they would the truck containing four SeeD candidates, an unconscious Galbadian soldier and a Crystal statue was launched into the air before dropping heavily onto the beach in a magnificent spray of sand. It skidded for at least twelve metres before coming to a stop, the engine finally giving in to the abuse it had suffered.

Not pausing to check his own wounds that had been sustained when the vehicle landed, Squall pushed open the door and dashed to the rear of the truck. Relieved to find that all three of his team-mates were alive...if a little green.

"I am never letting you drive again!" Seifer declared as Squall busted open the lock on the cage and the others moved with him to retrieve the Crystal.

Even as they moved they could hear the approaching Galbadian's and the frustrated shouts of Quistis and other SeeD's from the other direction. Moving quickly Squall, Seifer, Zell and Selphie stripped the Crystal of the rough tarp that had been carelessly thrown over it and lifted the surprisingly light object from the base of the truck. Still feeling detached from his surroundings, Squall supposed that the lightness of the statue was why the Galbadian convoy had been so quick to arrive at his ambush.

Maneuvering the Crystal Statue of a young man while under enemy fire is a surprisingly difficult feat. Which is why Squall found himself grateful for the third time that day that Instructor Quistis Trepe was with them. At the first sign of the Crystal statue, every SeeD in the area had paused for all of a second before rushing to help the four candidates. Even as the Galbadian's came into range to fire Quistis had rushed into the ship to man the machine gun on the deck. Turning the rapid fire on the approaching enemy, Quistis forced the enemy army to scatter to the nearest shelter they could find.

No sooner had the four candidates moved the statue into the ship that it lurched and closed the automated opening even as they sped on their way.

What had been a simple assignment and SeeD exam had quickly turned into something much bigger.

They waited in the hold still guarding the Crystal even though there were only other SeeDs around them the four candidates shared looks. Either they would be expelled for this, or they would be lauded as heroes.

Squall wasn't sure he wanted to guess which it would be.

Quistis returned to the lower decks where the four stood waiting, surrounding their precious cargo. The entire ship lurched. The sudden pulse of pure magic rippling through them into the metal.

Every gaze was quickly fixed to the Crystal, another pulse, weaker this time, pushing out like it was looking for something.

After the third pulse that was only felt by those standing closest, the strange glow that the Crystal had been emitting since Squall had gotten a close look at it shifted.

The light sank into the skin of the statue and as the minutes passed the Crystal forming the body of the Sorcerer began to darken.

"Is it...he...waking?" Quistis' voice was soft as she edged around the crowded hold, every SeeD present rooted to the spot.

Squall and the gather SeeDs and crew watched in fascination as, slowly, the crystal receded leaving only pale, dirty skin, dark hair and filthy clothes.

Frowning Squall thought that the Crystal Sorcerer looked as though he had just come out of a war zone. A few patches of grime that showed looked suspiciously red and just as the living body heaved hints of cuts and bruises peeked through gaps in the baggy clothing.

The body heaved again as if desperate for air but couldn't quite remember how to breathe. Without thinking Squall moved forwards and as gently as he could on the hard metal surface of the hold floor lifted the thin scrawny body onto his side. Prompting a gush of stale air to escape the ancient lungs and a coughing fit to commence.

Still existing in his state of semi-detachment Squall stood back from the prone form as the breathing began to even out. Without any prompting Seifer moved in to replace Squall at the Sorcerer's side, picking him up without any apparent effort.

Seifer didn't say a word, nobody did, as he carried the seemingly unconscious form of the most powerful magical being since Hyne from the hold and up into the ship proper for the few hours back to Balamb.

No crew or SeeD questioned the group as they moved to follow, staying close to the young man that had appeared out of the Crystal.

Squall wondered what would happen now.


	4. The New World

The New World:

When Harry woke he decided that hospital beds were universally recognisable. Either that or he was back in his usual bed in Hogwarts Infirmary. Without opening his eyes, Harry tried to take in his surroundings as he had done every time since the war began. Only when he had established that he was alone wherever he was, that he allowed himself to relax.

It was then that he remembered.

Suddenly Harry wished he had never woken up. He knew that when he opened his eyes nothing would be the same. None of his friends would be there waiting for him. A weight settled in his chest as he thought of Hogwarts and Ron and Hermione. Icy cold spread from the constricting heaviness in his torso and Harry felt himself curl around it, biting his lip to stop the tears from seeping out from under his eyelids. He wasn't ready to wake up yet wasn't ready to acknowledge that everything had changed.

It wasn't fair.

But he had agreed to this, a small soft voice in the back of mind said. And Harry hated the fact that it was right. He had agreed to this and with a soft groan and movements stiff Harry pushed himself up and opened his eyes.

It was a private room, he noted. Not like the ward at Hogwarts and far above it in the use of technology if the beeping machines in the corner were any sign.

The door was a little confusing to him at first, as it had no handle. He decided that it must be like the automated sliding doors he had seen in the shopping centres with Aunt Petunia.

Harry sighed as the pain in his chest twinged. He hadn't even thought of the Dursley's when he had accepted the offer. He had never loved them or even liked them, but all the same he hoped that they had lived happily enough.

Not that he had any way of finding out.

Groaning again Harry wondered if someone would check on him soon. He didn't want to risk walking just yet. The remains of the last Battle and the Never-ending Camping Trip from Hell were making themselves known.

Sighing Harry let himself fall back onto the bed that was as uncomfortable as every other hospital bed he had ever been in and stared at the ceiling. Wishing that someone would come soon, he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts for the moment.

It took another hour, by the light shining through the window, for someone to come and check on him.

Curled in a ball and wishing that the weight in his chest would go away, Harry had almost drifted off into a troubled sleep when the door opened with a muffled swishing sound.

"Oh! You're awake!" The excited voice said, far too loudly for Harry who shot up into a sitting position eyes wide as he watched a young girl. She was about his age with light brown hair and a brilliant yellow dress. She turned away from the door, leaving Harry alone again almost as abruptly as she had arrived. The automatic door sliding closed behind her.

It was only a minute later that the door swished open again. This time admitting a middle age lady with dark hair in a white lab coat, the bright yellow girl following close behind.

"So you're back with us at last." She said as she moved to his bedside, looking at the readings the various machines showed. She obviously understood it as she turned back to Harry with a kind smile.

"I'm Doctor Kadowaki, this young lady is Selphie one of the ones that found you." Said the Dr. gently. Harry nodded, showing that he understood.

He had just opened his mouth to introduce himself to the woman who reminded him painfully of Madame Pomfrey when the door swished open again and a blond man maybe a year older than Harry rushed in.

"Is he awake yet!" Zell shouted into the room. Only to stumble to a halt when he caught sight of Harry sitting up in the bed looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"You're awake!" Zell shouted jumping on the spot and generally looking as if he had had too much sugar.

"Zell!" The yellow girl, Selphie admonished.

"If you can't be quiet you can get out now," Dr. Kadowaki said in a no-nonsense tone, and Harry was absurdly grateful that no matter how much changed Healers were still the same.

Zell immediately curbed his over-enthusiastic approach and even managed a subdued look briefly before Dr. Kadowaki turned back to Harry.

Harry attempted a smile, which wasn't much of a success, before opening his mouth to speak again.

"I'm Harry."

The three in the room beamed.

"A pleasure to meet you, Harry," aid Dr. Kadowaki, nodding her head even as Zell and Selphie bounced in the background.

Harry tried to return their smiles, but it felt brittle and shattered soon after.

Glancing around the room Harry turned back to the smiling Dr. and the two hyper teenagers.

"Um," He began, "I don't suppose you could tell me where we are? Or when we are for that matter." Harry asked, muttering the last part under his breath.

"You're in Balamb Garden," Zell announced grinning, only to look as confused as Harry felt when no recognition lit his face. "You have to know about Balamb Garden!" Zell insisted looking a little put off that Harry wasn't as aware of the world as he was expected to be.

Feeling lost Harry looked back to Dr. Kadowaki for some sort of reprieve.

"The Garden is a school for SeeDs, mercenaries. As for the Date, it is 31st of July 1382 P.H." Dr. Kadowaki said. It seemed she understood a little better than Zell that Harry couldn't know everything. Either that or she assumed that he was from acute memory loss.

Harry blinked. He was certain that it had been 2001 when he left, and he had never heard of P.H. before.

"Um, what is P.H. exactly and do you know how it relates to A.D.?" Harry asked and he was positive that they all thought he was mad.

"P.H. stands for Post Hyne." Selphie murmured. Both she and Zell had lost their earlier excited bounce.

"A.D. was the age just before this one. The calendar counts from 6000 A.D. to 1 P.H." Dr. Kadowaki continued with the explanation, a wary timbre to her voice and Harry was beginning to feel as if he just wanted to curl up and hide.

Three thousand years Gaia had said. Harry supposed that five-thousand-three-hundred wasn't far off the mark.

With an exhale of air, Harry let his back slump towards the wall. The three other occupants of the room watching him curiously.

And that was another problem Harry wanted to avoid thinking about. If they didn't know that he was from the past, then should he tell them?

Groaning softly Harry pulled his knees up under his chin, uncaring of his audience.

Dr. Kadowaki peered at him, analysing the situation as best she could. The two new made SeeD in the room with her had no idea how to react, this wasn't what they had expected.

"Excuse me," Selphie said. Confidence returning even though Harry barely turned his head. "But you are the Sorcerer, aren't you?"

Harry frowned, he wasn't familiar with the term sorcerer. There had only ever been witches and wizards that he knew of.

Turning to look at the bright bubbly girl Harry figured he would have to play this carefully.

"I'm not familiar with the term 'sorcerer', but I am a magic user." That seemed to satisfy the girl and the other two occupants of the room. Although Zell gave him a sharp look when he said he didn't know what a sorcerer was.

Even as Selphie nodded and bounced on the balls of her feet Harry wished they would leave him alone. He needed to think, he needed to figure out what was happening and he needed to try and forget about Hogwarts.

Dr. Kadowaki noticed that he was beginning to feel uncomfortable and gave him another smile.

"I think it's time we gave you some peace. I'll send some food in for you, but you should try to rest." With that said she proceeded to herd Selphie and Zell out the door, ignoring their half-hearted words of complaint.

Soon Harry was on his own and the weight in his chest seemed to double.

Curling tightly into himself, Harry hugged his legs as he fought the tears springing up against his bidding. He wished he could ask Ron and Hermione what he should do. He didn't know these people, didn't trust them. They could be the equivalent of Death Eater's putting on an act for all he knew of the world.

Moaning Harry pressed his eyes into his knees, covered with the simple white sheet of the hospital bed. He chose to ignore the slight dampness that seeped through the cloth into his skin.

Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to push away the rising panic forcing its way past the weight in his chest. He had to think, he had to think!

Breathing in and out, counting his breaths, Harry waited for his pulse to slow and the ragged edges to even out. It would do him no good to panic, not here, not where his friends couldn't help him.

Forcing himself to pass the ache in his chest, Harry concentrated on what Dr. Kadowaki and the others had said.

Sorcerer.

Either Wizards have a new name for themselves or they were something completely different. Something powerful by the way that Selphie had mentioned it. And it hadn't shocked them, were they wizards and witches then? Or were they muggles? Did that divide in society even exist anymore? The ministry had seemed so set in its traditions back in his own time, could they change?

Harry groaned again as all the questions built up and no answers seemed to present themselves.

Dr. Kadowaki had said that the 'age' was P.H., Post Hyne whoever the hell Hyne was. Harry felt that he would be to these people as Merlin was to the witches and wizards of Hogwarts.

The abrupt swish of the door jerked Harry out of his hopeless musing and his head snapped up to assess the person entering.

Sighing, Harry forced himself to relax at the sight of Dr. Kadowaki with a steaming tray of food.

Kadowaki smiled at him again, and Harry began to recognise it as something she used to keep him calm. Even though he knew that there could be one thousand and one reasons why she would do that if he was a prisoner, Harry found himself grateful for the small kindness. Even as the ache in his chest twinged as he remembered Madame Pomfrey with her strict demeanour.

"Hello, again Harry," Dr. Kadowaki said as calmly as she could. "I hope you like hot-dogs."

She placed the tray containing a steaming hot dog, a green salad and a glass of juice on the small side table beside the bed.

Harry was relieved to see that the food of the future hadn't changed over much from his own. Even though he had never had a hot-dog before, it was another point of familiarity that he could grab onto.

Nodding at the Dr. and returning her smile with a little more success although it was still fragile, Harry turned to the food. He hadn't had a chance to eat before the battle, and when he considered that he hadn't eaten in over five-thousand years his stomach rumbled.

Picking up the hot dog Harry gingerly bit into the end, testing the flavour. Finding to his surprise that it was just an ordinary sausage on a bun, Harry bit into it hungrily. The salad met a similar fate though the juice he eyed at first. He had wished that someone had told him about pumpkin juice before he had gulped it down at his first welcome feast, and he didn't particularly want another such experience.

Of course it could be drugged easier than the food, but he didn't care at this point.

Taking a cautious sip, Harry hummed at the tart citrus flavour that flooded his mouth. It seemed that orange juice was another constant in the tides of time.

Draining the glass Harry laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts fought with each other for his attention. With the distraction of filling his stomach, Harry had forgotten about the pain in his chest. With no further distraction forthcoming, it roared back full force.

Uncaring if anyone walked in Harry curled on his side and this time when the tears came he did not fight them.

* * *

 **A/N:** Alrighty, just letting you know that from this point onward things will be changing rather a lot. Mostly were Seifer's concerned. I discovered a soft spot for him the approximate size of Galbadia. So... yeah. :)


	5. No Cause For Celebration

No Cause For Celebration:

The sun was streaming through the window when Harry woke. From the angle and texture of the light, he assumed that it was still early morning. The ache in his chest was still there though it had settled into a steady throb that he could put aside long enough to concentrate on other things.

The sound of voices outside the door alerted Harry to what had woken him. A few heavy footfalls later and the door swished open, revealing a tall blond man with a scar running across the bridge of his nose. He looked ready for battle Harry thought as his mind raced to keep up.

A sudden smile lit across the man's face as he strode into the room. Harry wasn't sure what it was but there was something about this man that put him on edge. He reminded Harry of Malfoy before Voldemort, when he still had his arrogance.

Watching the stranger, Harry sat up and straightened his glasses.

"So you're awake again." The man said beaming and Harry fought the urge to tell him that he had woken him up.

"Yes," Harry said, thinking that now was not the time to be making more enemies. He wasn't eleven anymore.

"Excellent," the man said before making a sweeping gesture. Harry supposed he meant it to look grand but instead came off as awkward. "I'm Seifer Almasy, at your service. I wanted to talk to you yesterday but by the time I got here Kadowaki said you had gone back to sleep." the man, Seifer, said in a regretful tone.

Harry wasn't sure how to take this. Why was there such an interest in him? Unless of course, they had found his Crystal and it was the curiosity of how an inanimate stone turned into a living breathing man.

Somehow that didn't sit right. There was something he was missing. He felt that it had something to do with the Sorcerer that Selphie had mentioned yesterday.

"Um. Sorry." Harry said, Seifer's likeness to Draco was uncanny as he sat in the only chair in the room, white coat settling around his knees.

Harry waited expectantly. If Seifer had something that he wanted to talk about so early in the morning then he assumed that he would get to the point as soon as he sat. Except this wasn't the case. Seifer seemed content to sit and watch Harry. Harry sat and watched Seifer, feeling more awkward by the second.

Snapping finally Harry asked in a strained voice, "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Seifer grinned. Although he seemed pleasant enough there was something in that grin that was predatory. And it sent shivers down Harry's spine.

"Mostly I wanted to introduce myself..." Seifer trailed off and Harry supposed that none of the others had told him Harry's name.

"Harry."

Seifer nodded happily, testing the name on his tongue. "Harry."

Turning his attention back to the young man in the bed Seifer smiled. It was more pleasant than his grin and Harry thought that if he wasn't too arrogant then he wouldn't mind the man. But the chances of that were slim, he thought, arrogance, unfortunately, didn't come in halves.

"I heard from Kadowaki that you don't know about Garden?" Seifer inquired, "I would be happy to fill you if you have any questions."

Harry almost laughed. If they were offering information to him like this, the chances that they were anything like the Death Eater's was unlikely.

And if they just didn't care then they were good actors. Better than most.

Harry smiled, or at least he tried to, in response to Seifer's offer. He was getting better he thought though it still felt forced and strained on his face.

"Thankyou," Harry said, "Kadowaki told me that the Garden was a school for SeeDs or mercenaries. But I don't know anything else."

Seifer nodded, taking Harry's lack of knowledge in stride. If this was a setup then he was not going to like the results but even as his chest twinged, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Well, that's true. But SeeDs are a little more than just mercenaries. That's a way to fund the school when there isn't a threat present." Here Seifer paused, shifting a little in his seat. "SeeDs are trained to take down Sorceresses that go mad on their power. They have a 'fragile mental stability' according to the Headmaster and slip their moral codes."

Seifer paused again, letting Harry absorb that information for which he was grateful.

If a Sorceress was the female equivalent of a Sorcerer then did that mean they thought he was mad? Power hungry? Another Voldemort? If that was the case then he doubted that he would get out anytime soon. Though the suggestion that they were soldiers first meant that they would kill any Sorceress mad enough to go on a rampage.

Pushing aside the questions for now and ignoring the ache in his chest Harry nodded to Seifer to continue.

"Aside from that there isn't much too Garden that is different to a normal school. We have weapons training of course but most do that these days because of the monsters." Seifer rambled, and Harry wasn't inclined to bring him off track.

"There's three Gardens, each on a different continent. This one is Balamb, then there is Galbadia and Trabia Gardens. Each has a speciality that they teach. Trabia focuses on weapons training while Galbadia is all about technology. Balamb focuses on GF's..." Seifer caught Harry's look of confusion and he frowned before continuing.

"GF's or Guardian Forces are sentient magical constructs that allow us to use magic. By junctioning one to our core, we can access stocked spells." Harry was careful to keep his face blank as his mind ran far ahead of him.

Magic had changed a lot, and not just the way people used it but the nature of magic itself if it could only be accessed by 'junctioning' a Guardian Force.

Tuning back in to listen to Seifer's explanation Harry pushed aside all questions for the time being. All being well he could get them answered without drawing suspicion to himself.

"Sorceresses are the only ones who don't need a GF to use magic, and they can use it in a way that they rest of us can't even with a GF junctioned. It's one of the reason's why they're so dangerous..."

Thoughts spun through Harry's mind. So magic, as he knew it, hadn't died out...not completely, but why did only women inherit it?

"When one Sorceress dies they pass on their power to another potential Sorceress with a compatible core. Some people believe that the power itself corrupt and that's why they go mad. If the taint could be removed then they'd be fine." Seifer looked a little wistful at this and Harry wondered if he knew someone who was a Sorceress, or at least a potential one.

Shaking his head Seifer continued, looking at Harry with a similar wistful air.

"The last Sorceress was Adel, from Esthar. She started getting power hungry, see and started a war to conquer the rest of the world. That's why SeeD started. The entire continent of Esthar just cut itself off from the rest of the world after they got rid of her. Nobody knows how they did it but they sealed away her power, blocked it off so she couldn't use magic anymore and then put her in a coma. Without passing on her powers she can't die, so she's stuck like that. Kinda sad if you ask me."

Harry didn't know what to say to that. A power hungry mad woman started a war and they got rid of her the only way they knew how and it was sad? So far all this was reminding him of Voldemort. A cold dread settled in his stomach.

Harry shifted, drawing Seifer's attention to him again.

The sad smile on the other man's face slipped into a slight frown before he continued again.

"Sorceresses don't always go mad. They need help, but it is possible. Their magic goes haywire and plays with their heads. But if they have another compatible core that can ground them then their fine. The Sorceress's Knight is more than just an anchor for their power, they are a protector."

Harry frowned as Seifer finished and slipped into silence.

The short pause broke when the door swished open to reveal Dr Kadowaki and a portly man of middling height wearing a bright red waistcoat.

Seifer stood up as the man entered, nodding his head in respect.

"Headmaster Cid."

Harry looked at the Headmaster of the school for training soldiers and killers. He wasn't at all what he had expected. He seemed...soft was the only word that came to mind when Harry looked at him. Nothing like the cool killer a mercenary would have to be.

It didn't fit.

Headmaster Cid looked at Harry before paying attention to Seifer.

"Ah, Seifer. I see you've been keeping our guest entertained." The Headmaster said, Harry thought that he seemed a little awkward in this situation. He was nothing like Dumbledore, Harry thought.

"Yes, Sir," Seifer replied Harry suspected that he shouldn't have been filling Harry in as he had been doing. Harry wasn't about to snitch on him either.

"Good, good," The Headmaster said rocking on the balls of his feet. Looking back at Harry for a moment he turned back to Seifer, "I wonder if you might give us a moment? Dr Kadowaki is determined that he should eat and rest and I need to have a quick word with him."

Harry's eyebrows rose. He was talking like Harry wasn't in the room and that more than anything made Harry's hackles rise. Seifer seemed as displeased with the suggestion, but he couldn't exactly go against his Headmaster. Bowing out as gracefully as the situation would allow.

"Of course, Headmaster." Seifer's nod was far stiffer than his earlier grand gestures and he stalked from the room. Leaving an unsettled Harry with the Headmaster and Dr Kadowaki who was bearing a tray that held his breakfast.

Turning to take Seifer's vacated seat the Headmaster waited as Kadowaki handed Harry his tray and made sure that he started eating before she left. The door swinging shut behind her.

No sooner had the white-clad Dr. left that Headmaster Cid looked at Harry, smiling benignly.

"Now dear boy," He began before pausing when he noticed Harry stiffen, spoon halfway to his mouth.

Those words made him think of Dumbledore, and Hogwarts, and the war and all those that had died. Harry tried to swallow his mouthful down his dry throat. They had all been lost to him now.

A little put off by Harry's sudden shift in demeanour, the Garden's Headmaster shifted in his seat.

"I was hoping that you might answer a few questions for me?" The Headmaster asked. The uncertainty of his tone making it a question rather than statement.

Trying to shake off the memories Harry attempted another brittle smile and nodded.

Headmaster Cid relaxed in his chair smiling as he received the affirmative answer.

"Excellent!" He enthused, clapping his hands together and causing Harry to flinch at the abrupt loud noise.

Noticing Harry's reaction the Headmaster's smile turned apologetic.

"Now, what do you remember?" He asked.

Harry bent his head towards the tray as he considered how he should answer. He knew from Seifer that the Garden was a training centre for soldiers. But he had also mentioned monsters as if they were an everyday occurrence so maybe weapons training was a necessity in this day and age?

Deciding that if he was going to tell anything he would stick to the truth. He didn't know if these people had anything like veritaserum, but he didn't want to risk it. But unless they asked directly he wouldn't offer up the knowledge, not yet.

"Everything up until I fell, asleep Headmaster," Harry replied as levelly as he could, wincing at how small and frightened he sounded.

"Please call me Cid," The Headmaster said even as he frowned over Harry's answer.

"When exactly did you fall asleep?" Cid asked, and Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to thank the man or curse him. If he told him the truth then he had a valid way to ask any question he wanted, but he also left himself vulnerable.

Taking a leap of faith and following his instinct that had yet to lead him wrong, Harry told the Headmaster the truth.

"The eleventh of February 2001," Harry said before adding as if in afterthought, "A.D."

Cid blinked several times before slumping into the seat and sighing explosively.

"So you don't know anything about the world today, then. That's not good," By this point Cid was talking more to himself than to Harry, "We'll have to catch you up."

Harry's ears perked at that if they wanted him to have the information then he wasn't about to complain. Feeling that now was a good time to mention the information that Seifer had divulged Harry reached over and put his now empty tray on the small bedside table. Catching the Headmasters attention as he did so.

"Seifer was kind enough to mention a few things. About Garden and Sorceresses, but he didn't have much chance to go into any detail." Harry said, watching Cid as the middle-aged man leant forwards in his seat.

"Oh, good! That's a few subjects dealt with. I mean it would be a little awkward to have the Sorcerer not know anything about SeeD." Cid said.

Harry frowned. Cid had as good as told him that he was a Sorcerer, or at least seen as one by their standards.

"That's a good point, Headmaster..." Harry started only for Cid to interrupt.

"Cid. Please."

Nodding Harry continued, "Cid, I have never heard of a Sorcerer, or a Sorceress for that matter, before today."

Cid gulped and groaned, leaning his head forwards to rest in his hands.

Harry wished that Seifer would come back. At least he had seemed willing to provide Harry with answers to any and all his questions. Fidgeting with the edged of his sheets Harry wished that the other man would talk, do something. But he sat there, head in hands and groaning.

Desperate to get the other to stop groaning Harry remembered how he had answered Selphie's question the day before.

"Headmaster, Cid, I may not be familiar with the term Sorcerer but I am a magic user. If that is what the term means." Harry said as diplomatically as he could.

It had the desired effect the light shone in his eyes and twinkled in a way so reminiscent of Dumbledore that Harry found himself choking back a sob.

"It is possible that the terminology has changed. I mean if the date you gave is correct then that's over five-thousand years, lots of things have changed in that time." Harry wondered if Cid made a habit of talking to himself while others were in the room.

Not sure if he was talking to him or not Harry nodded, agreeing with the Headmasters deduction.

Lots of things had changed.

Harry opened his mouth to ask the question he wanted to ask but closed it again not soon after, not knowing how to word the inquiry.

Unfortunately, Cid noticed his hesitation and prompted him.

"Yes, my boy?"

Swallowing passed the lump in his throat and the ache in his chest Harry tried to ask, stumbling over the words.

"Do you know why I'm here?" That wasn't right, "Why I woke up?" That was better Harry thought and it seemed that Cid knew what he was talking about.

The soft smile on the Headmaster's face causing Harry to stutter into silence.

"There was a prophecy..." The Headmaster started when Harry groaned. Loudly.

Only to mutter, "Another bloody prophecy."

Cid coughed and shifted on his seat.

"I, uh, take it that this is not the first time you have been mentioned in Fate's decree?" It was a rather poetic way to phrase it, Harry thought. But also far more accurate than Cid knew. Harry had made a deal with Gaia. He had agreed to this.

Nodding glumly, Harry motioned for the Headmaster to continue.

"Well, ah, the prophecy told of the Crystal Sorcerer, who would wake only to the presence of his Knight and bring with him a reign of peace over Gaia." Cid finished, watching Harry as the young man absorbed the information. It was a good summary of the prophecy certainly. But the wording could have meant something else and that could only be one interpretation of the blasted thing.

He hated prophecy.

Looking up from the sheets bunched in his hands, Harry made an effort to relax his white-knuckled grip and peered at Cid.

"What was the wording? Exactly." Harry's voice was sharp, he wasn't prepared to risk a misinterpreted prophecy. Especially if it was self-fulfilling like the last one.

Cid blinked, surprised.

"I don't know."

Harry would have growled if the man hadn't had such a confused look on his face.

"Do you think you could find out?" Harry asked, working to keep his tone even.

Nodding Cid stood. "I'll do my best, I'm sure there is an accurate recording of it somewhere." He smiled at Harry before continuing. "It is an old prophecy."

Just as he finished speaking the click of heels in the corridor outside sounded and the door swished open to reveal Dr Kadowaki, arms crossed and scowling. Reminding Harry of his disapproving school matron.

"You said five minutes. It has been forty-five. He needs to rest, Headmaster." The Dr. snapped.

Cid glanced at Harry, looking apologetic and remorseful.

"I must apologise, I will leave you to your rest." With another wry smile the Headmaster left, stepping passed the Dr. blocking the doorway, the sound of his footsteps echoed up the metal corridor.

Still frowning Dr Kadowaki turned to Harry.

Gulping Harry wished that she wasn't so like Madame Pomfrey at the moment. The ache in his chest doubled and without the distraction of the Headmaster there wasn't anything else for him to concentrate on.

"You should be resting! I don't know what you went through but it looks like a war zone. It'll take you at least a week to recover at this rate." With that said Kadowaki turned on her heel and left, the door closing behind her with its characteristic swish.

Sighing forlornly, the week of boredom stretching out in front of him, Harry let himself fall back onto the bed. Rolling onto his side to stare out the sliver of the window that showed at this angle.

What appeared to be a gigantic ring hung in the sky above the Garden and he wondered how they got it stay there. Was it magic or muggle science?


	6. Alien Encounters

Alien Encounters:

Squall sat on the neatly made bed in his new room. The same sort of room all new SeeDs had. It was larger than the shared dorms and this time he didn't have to share a bathroom.

Pressing the tips of his fingers to his eyes, Squall willed away the headache pounding at the back of his skull.

The fresh SeeD uniform hung on the hanger by the door, taunting him. He had thought that when he was a SeeD he would be proud to wear that uniform. Now it only made the bile rise in the back of his throat at the thought of the lives he had had to take to earn it. He wondered again if it had been worth it. They may have found the Crystal Sorcerer, sure, but according to Zell and Selphie he was about as useful as a civilian.

Squall groaned softly in the quiet of his room, the soft ticking of the clock echoed the pounding in his head.

Squall decided that there was no way that he would survive an entire evening surrounded by chatter and music and obnoxious patrons of Garden with a headache pounding in the background. Reaching out with one hand he rifled through the draw in the cabinet and came away with a card of painkillers.

Strictly speaking he wasn't supposed to have these. Dr. Kadowaki preferred that all SeeDs, trainees and students alike go to her for any and all medication. Squall couldn't bring himself to care. They had come in handy more than a few times and he wasn't about to give up the easy access to the small white pills.

Swallowing them down Squall forced himself to stand and grab the dark green uniform from the hanger and make his way to the bathroom. People expected SeeD to present well, after all.

It didn't take him long to change and run a brush through his hair, it still refused to look tidy, but at least now it looked like he had made an effort. Grumbling under his breath Squall left his room with a scowl.

Unfortunately, the door slid open to reveal Selphie, overactive and hyper as usual, dressed in a green and gilt uniform and grinning.

"Oh, hey! You're ready. Isn't it exciting?" She bubbled as they made their way through the dorm corridors and out into the fresh air of the central walkway.

Squall didn't answer, didn't even acknowledge her as he concentrated on separating himself from the trauma that was about to come. He hated social events such as these. If the patrons of the Garden wanted to know the SeeDs then they could come on their own time and pay them, thank you very much.

Unfortunately, Cid thought that the SeeD ball was a grand idea and had made it a yearly tradition to coincide with the graduation of the latest candidates.

This year the Headmaster was ecstatic. The graduation of two gunblade specialists was quite a moment for Balamb Garden. Especially when the last specialist had been a decade ago.

Squall arranged his features to be as blank as possible before opening the door, making a point of holding it open for Selphie. Performing all the subtle niceties that Squall knew Cid was expecting of him. Squall made a beeline for the abandoned corner of the crowded room the strains of music following him through the crowd and setting his teeth on edge.

Settling down with a single glass of wine Squall lent against the wall as comfortably as he could and watched as the coloured masses twirled around the dance floor. They were a pretty sight he supposed, so long as he wasn't expected to join them.

Across the room from him, and as far away as Squall could get was Headmaster Cid, talking to a pretty young woman wearing a pale blue dress. The only blue dress in the room Squall noted.

Letting his eyes wander around the room, he noticed how people gathered in their usual groups. Even graduated they remained in their usual little cliches.

The tall blond head of Seifer caught his attention. Standing in the opposite corner his almost friend was talking to a dark haired girl in a short white dress and frowning.

The girl was clinging to the much taller SeeD and making a painful attempt to get Seifer to dance. If there was one thing that Squall and Seifer could agree upon it was their mutual dislike of dancing. That wasn't to say that they couldn't, it was part of the standard lessons for SeeD trainees. Smirking, Squall watched as Seifer deliberately detached himself from the pouting brunette and said something to her before walking off towards Fujin and Raijin.

Amused at the antics of the taller blond Squall came out of his musings as Zell approached him, the familiar hyperactive jump in his step.

"Hey, Squall! How do you like this man? SeeDs! And Heroes to boot." Zell enthused while holding out his hand.

Squall was tempted to reject the offered hand. But there were people watching and he had to maintain the polite facade that all SeeDs put up for the pompous glittering event.

Taking Zell's offered hand Squall nodded an answer before returning to nursing his drink.

Pleased, and if Squall didn't know any better amused, Zell stood back letting his gaze travel across the room form Squall's vantage point.

"Heh, you haven't changed." It wasn't loud, but Squall still heard him and wondered about the younger man. He was far more observant that people gave him credit for Squall decided.

Watching the room again as Zell wandered off Squall noticed that the girl Seifer had been talking too had moved to the centre of the room looking around as if searching for someone.

For all Seifer's harsh words, she seemed unfazed by the situation.

It was with a sinking feeling that Squall watched her catch sight of him hiding in the shadows of the corner and make her way over to him.

"Hey, you're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?"

Well, thats one way to start a conversation Squall mused even as he ignored the brown eyed girl. Only a few years younger than him, he thought.

She didn't seem to be at all put off by his lack of any response.

"Let me guess you only dance with people you like?" She said with a smile.

Saying that she lifted a hand and began waving her fingers around Squall's face, chanting "You're going to like me, you're going to like me."

Squall scowled, if there was any way to make him NOT like the girl then she was going about it the right way.

"Did it work?" It was pathetic how hopeful she sounded.

Squall continued to ignore her and took another sip of his drink.

"Oh, come on! I'm looking for someone and I can't dance by myself!" She sounded exasperated.

Looking down at her Squall raised an eyebrow wondering what it would take to get rid of her.

"I don't dance." He said, hoping that would get rid of her.

"Oh, don't worry it's easy!" She chirped before seizing his hand and all but dragging him across the room.

Squall wanted to say that just because he DIDN'T dance didn't mean that he COULDN'T.

By that point though it was too late and she had grabbed his hands and went about trying to lead him for a few moments causing them both to stumble into another couple. Before he sighed and gave in. A decision he would regret.

No sooner had he taken control of their movements, much to the girls surprise, did the fireworks begin.

The one part of the evening that he had been looking forward to and he was stuck in the middle of the dance-floor with a bossy girl he didn't even know. Ceasing all movement to the music Squall looked up to see the brilliant greens and reads spread across the sky and showing through the high glass roof of the ballroom.

Squall didn't notice what the girl was doing until she tapped him on the shoulder and waved a quick goodbye and dashed across the floor to the far side of the room. Leaving Squall stranded in the middle of the dance-floor and looking like an idiot.

Shaking his head at how some people couldn't even make a pretense at being polite, Squall hunched his shoulders left the ballroom proper for the attached balcony overlooking the Garden.

It was a beautiful night, Squall decided as he let the slight breeze drift over him. Bringing the scent of the flowers and other plants that grew around the whole complex.

It wouldn't be much of a Garden without the plants.

Looking up at the sky and the giant ring that circled the whole Garden, Squall let his thoughts wander for the first time to the boy in the Medical Bay. If he was the Crystal Sorcerer then they were in for a letdown, but then again...

Remembering the condition of the scrawny young man Squall thought that maybe he was no stranger to war.

Whether he was any good at it or not remained to be seen.

"I thought I saw you come out here." The voice of Quistis Trepe sounded behind him, Squall was rather proud of his complete lack of reaction.

"So you'll dance with a complete stranger but you won't talk to me?" Quistis sounded exasperated causing Squall to turn and look at her before replying.

"It's hard to say anything when you don't say anything." Squall said in an even tone.

Quistis looked down.

"I suppose you're right." She muttered. Looking up again she squared her shoulders, "I'm here to give you orders. The last orders I will give you. You're to go to the training area, the secluded area where the monsters can't go. Get changed and meet me there in half an hour." Quistis said, in her usual bossy tone.

Squall frowned, as orders they were odd. What on Terra could they have to do in the training area? All the same, he thought as he brushed past Quistis with a simple "Understood", orders where orders.

The training area was dark when he arrived. The nocturnal creatures were more of a challenge to the trainees so they regulated the lighting to mimic daylight.

Dodging the monsters, dispatching the few that pursued him, Squall worked his way through the faux wild area and into the small balcony section known as the 'respite'.

Quistis was already there when he arrived her whip tucked into a pouch at her hip.

Pausing by the entry to the respite Squall waited for her to notice his presence, it didn't take long.

Squall was expecting some mission or another though it would have been odd to send out a made SeeD so soon. Instead, Quistis said nothing that seemed of any use.

"I was sixteen when I graduated as a SeeD, and seventeen when I got my Instructor's license." Squall shifted against the edge of the balcony, wondering if she had ordered him here for her life story.

He would have thought that she would have gotten the point that she had to issue an order to get him alone.

"What time is it?" The question prompted a raised eyebrow, but Squall answered nonetheless.

"After twelve."

"Then I am no longer your Instructor," Quistis said, stepping back away from the walled edge of the balcony and stretching her arms above her head.

Well, if that was the case...

"Did you order me here just to tell me this?" He snapped. He hadn't been sleeping all that well and the late night of the ball wasn't going to do him any favours.

"I just wanted someone to listen..." Quistis started before Squall cut her off as he moved towards the nearest exit.

"Then talk to a wall."

Squall fumed as he stormed down the hallways towards his dorm room. The few people still awake in the halls ducked around convenient corners and doorways as he passed. That only served to make him angrier.

Reaching the door to his room Squall wished for the first time that they weren't automatic. He wanted to slam something.

Instead, he punched the wall. Which he regretted as the walls were metal plating over the stone and solid.

As he nursed his bruised hand, Squall slumped to sit on his bed as his anger drained away, leaving him tired.

He was better at keeping his temper in check, but he was tired. With that in mind, Squall shed his jacket and let himself drift off. Praying that, this time, the screams and smell of blood would not plague him.


	7. Avoidance

Avoidance:

When Squall woke the next morning it was with tired eyes.

Disentangling himself from the twisted sheets he stumbled into the attached bathroom and splashed cold water on his face in a vain attempt to rid himself of the night's terrors.

Sighing gently Squall stared at his face in the small mirror. Noting the dark bruises the fell in bags under his eyes and the permanent frown that had taken up residence.

Grumbling irritably at his reflection Squall set himself to getting ready for the day.

With nothing happening for the next week, at least until a job came up, Squall had nothing to do but train. Seeking out his blade Squall left the dorms and made a beeline for the training area he had left so abruptly the night before. If he couldn't sleep normally he would just have to tire himself out.

As the heavy metal door lifted so he could duck into the monster-infested rooms beyond Squall let his mind go, detaching himself from the moment and simply let his body wear itself out.

The grats in the first few rooms started to avoid him and Squall came back to himself long enough to decide to move further in. It was always a risk going so far into the training area as they kept a T-Rexaur there for the SeeDs and older students to practice teamwork. Facing it alone would not be pleasant, even in this confined space.

The tougher monsters helped him, and Squall felt himself relax slowly into the familiar motions. Uppercut, trigger, parry, slash, trigger...

And so it continued.

Squall paused for a second before burying his blade into the grat, just enough to note the heavy steps behind him. Even as the grat withered away Squall was turning, just in time to dive out of the way of the swinging tail of the T-Rexaur.'

It wasn't an overly large one, in comparison to the one he and Quistis had run from three days ago it was tiny. But in such enclosed spaces even a small T-Rexaur was a big problem.

Squall crouched low and watched as the lizard monster moved, hoping that it hadn't seen him.

Unfortunately, it's sense of smell was significantly better than its sight. Squall was forced to scramble away from his leafy cover as the T-Rexaur lunged. Thinking quickly Squall cursed, he was in one of the annexes, there was no exit from here but the one he had come in and right now there was a large and very angry lizard between him and that exit.

If he wanted to get out of this one Squall would have to fight the monster, at least enough to weaken it so he could run.

Just his luck, he thought, muttering angrily under his breath Squall readied his gun blade for the fight. Making sure that his junctions were working correctly he stood for a clear view of his target.

Why was it that everything had been going against him lately. First had been the disaster of an exam, then the bloody ball and Quistis and now this. As his anger and frustration bubbled to the surface, despite his attempts to detach himself again, Squall charged towards the T-Rexaur.

Dodging it weak attempt to block him and ducking under the flailing forearms Squall slashed at the monster's neck, firing the revolver of the blade mid strike causing the monster to stumble even as it roared in pain.

Ducking away from the close quarters of the fight and the T-Rexaurs claws, Squall called one of his Blizzard spells and threw the magic at the overgrown lizard. The giant boulder of glass like ice hung in the air for a moment before dropping heavily on the already wounded T-Rexaur, forcing the beasts head into the ground and crushing it with its weight.

As the magic that held the monster together dissipated Squall thought idly that he may have overpowered that spell.

But the path was clear again and the anger that had driven him left. Leaving him strangely empty.

He wasn't given long to ponder his rampant emotions however as a stuttered shout came through the door.

"Sq-Squall!" It was Zell, hair as ridiculously gelled as always and looking irritatingly well rested.

Squall didn't answer, instead he pulled the rag from his pocket that he kept for the purpose and began cleaning the last of the muck from the grats and T-Rexaur from the weapon.

"Dude! You just killed a T-Rexaur by yourself!" Zell sounded impressed.

Squall just felt numb.

"I wasn't that large, as T-Rex's go." He murmured softly as he worked on his blade in the middle of the training area.

Zell was completely flabbergasted at the brunettes calm acceptance of the situation. If he had just killed a T-Rexaur single handed he would either be in Med Bay or shouting it for all to hear. Even if it was small as far as the species went.

"All the same that's pretty impressive, man." Zell finally said as he eyed Squall. Even to the hyperactive blonde the bags under Squall's eyes were becoming increasingly obvious.

"Hey have you had lunch yet?" Zell asked, by way of an invitation.

Squall's head jerked up before looking down again to inspect his watch. Yes, he had been in here for over five hours and even as he thought about it his stomach started to complain of the abuse.

"No. I lost track of time." He said, straightening up and gesturing towards the door. "Lead the way."

Normally Squall didn't eat with company. Normally he didn't have company but at least with others around he was less likely to start jumping at the shadows in the corners, and conversation served to keep his mind from the dreams.

It didn't take them long to enter the cafeteria. Zell never took long in the pursuit of food, especially when the hot-dogs were being served. Squall personally couldn't stand the things and favoured the more palatable vegetable lasagne.

The cafeteria was normally crowded, but as the pair looked around they noticed that it was more so than usual. Few tables had any spaces and those that did didn't seem too inclined to share with the two new SeeDs.

Their problem was solved when Selphie, with energy that rivaled Zell's, waved them over to the table she was sharing with Seifer and his friends.

Squall grimaced slightly at the sight of the tall blond man before quickly schooling his expression into a blank mask. Seifer had been better the last few days, there hadn't even been any digs at Zell that he had noticed and that more than anything spoke of something a little off kilter.

Ignoring the problem of the arrogant blonds behaviour for the time being and simply enjoying it while it lasted Squall sat down on one side of Selphie while Zell took the other, sitting across from Fugin.

Seifer, sitting directly across the table from Squall looked up in mild surprise as his sparring partner voluntarily came within ten metres of him before looking back at his half eaten sandwich.

"Hey, Squall have you visited the Med Bay yet?" Selphie asked in an effort to start a conversation.

Squall frowned.

"No. Why? Was I meant to?" He asked, he had a suspicion that it was going to be the 'Sorcerer' but Squall honestly couldn't care. The chances of him being the Knight were slim at best and he didn't particularly want the position.

Selphie's smile became a little fixed as she looked at him pointedly.

"No. I just thought you should go say hello to Harry is all." She said before forking a piece of lasagne into her mouth.

"Who's Harry?" Squall asked, thinking that if that was the Sorcerer's name it was a bit anti climactic.

"Did you hit your head or something?" Seifer started from across the table. "Harry is the Sorcerer." The way Seifer said it made the scrawny kid that Squall had seen seem like some sort of messiah. Then again a lot of people thought he was.

"No, I didn't hit my head." Squall replied a little waspishly, already regretting his decision to sit at the same table as the antagonistic blond. "I just didn't see the point in introducing myself to someone I'm not going to have anything to do with." He said with a sense of finality.

To Squall's surprise, and to Selphie's and Zell's as well if their dropped fork and hot-dog respectively were any indication, Seifer relaxed back into his seat and smiled genuinely at Squall. Chuckling merrily at some private joke.

Sending the older man a puzzled look Squall glanced at the others before deciding to shrug it off and finish his lasagne.

"You should go see him though." Seifer said, shocking the others into dropping their lunches again. "He's bored out of his mind and if Kadowaki sees me there again I might not make it out alive." The blond explained.

To Squall's left Selphie smiled happily and nodded her head.

"Sure, we'll pay him a visit. Might take him some books or something as well. No reason to unnecessarily antagonise Dr. Kadowaki." Zell gave his muffled agreement around his mouthful of sausage and Seifer smiled again. Proving to Squall that the world had indeed turned inside out. Seifer was showing some sort of care for someone other than himself.

It was like he had already decided that he was 'Harry's' Knight...oh.

Squall would have laughed at the irony, but he couldn't muster the energy. Well if Seifer wanted to be the Sorcerer's Knight then he wasn't about to get in his way.

Forking up the last piece of lasagna Squall collected his plate ready to leave. His body ached from its abuse that morning and he thought a shower and a nap sounded heavenly.

"What about you Squall, you'll give Harry a visit right?" Zell asked, just as he was standing to leave.

Shrugging his shoulders Squall decided he was too tired to object. "Sure, I'll swing by later."

Returning his tray to the counter Squall namely moved through the Garden to the dorms and made a beeline for his shower. He would have a shower and a forty-winks then he would get Selphie and Zell off his back and go visit the 'bored out of his mind Sorcerer'.

It was with relief that Squall drifted off to sleep and this time didn't dream. For all that his body ached as he lay on the bed the training session had paid off. It was a lot longer than an hour later when his conscious mind started to surface.

The banging on his door pounding in tandem with the throbbing headache in his skull.

Headache, he must have overslept then.

Scrubbing the grit from his eyes Squall stumbled to the door to stop the banging.

On the other side of the metallic surface was an irate Selphie and a supremely uncomfortable looking Zell.

"Where the hell were you?" Selphie demanded the second the door was moving.

Squall still dragging his brain from the recesses of the first decent sleep he had had in days failed to understand what the woman was talking about.

"What?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"You said you would go and visit Harry yesterday, where the hell were you?" She demanded again, pausing to take in his tired state.

Finally catching up with the conversation Squall frowned.

"Sorry, I fell asleep."

He wasn't going to offer any more of an apology than that. He hadn't even said that he would visit the Sorcerer yesterday. Just that he would eventually.

Selphie looked like she wanted to rip into him and Squall was having difficulty putting the image next to the Selphie he normally interacted with. But as soon as he answered she paused. Looking him over carefully she narrowed her eyes.

"Are you alright, you still look awful."

Squall raised an eyebrow and she had the decency to blush while Zell fidgeted in the background.

"I'm fine, I just woke up." He stated simply.

It seemed though that the profession of his good health wasn't to have the desired effect.

Even Zell, who had been hovering behind Selphie and watching Squall apologetically looked at Squall in worry.

"You were asleep from lunch yesterday?" The blond asked sceptically, worry lacing his voice. Squall wasn't' entirely sure he was worried. He knew other SeeDs and trainees with weirder sleeping patterns.

"Must've done." Squall muttered retreating back into his room to gather a fresh change of clothes before heading to the bathroom.

As he turned his back Zell and Selphie exchanged worried glances.

"You're still going to visit Harry, right?" Selphie asked, returning to the reason she had been pounding on his door.

Squall groaned internally while he nodded obediently.

"Sure, I'll go see him first thing."

Selphie smiled brightly, even as Zell relaxed and nodded happily.

"Alright then, see you later Squall." And they left, leaving Squall to splash cold water on his face and dress.

Keeping to his promise, not wanting to have Selphie break down his door at some ungodly hour, Squall headed for the Med Bay. May as well get the pleasantries over with as soon as possible.

Not that he had any clue what to say to someone who was a glorified rock when you saved them.


	8. Reflections and Boredom

Reflections and Boredom:

Laying on the uncomfortable hospital bed three days after he had woken up Harry thought that he had never been so bored in his life. Upon reflection, he amended that thought, thinking that History of Magic had come close once or twice.

Thinking of Hogwarts, Harry remembered the old Hospital wing. At least there the ceilings Madame Pomfrey had him staring at for days on end had patterned tiles that were at least interesting to look at. The flat, undulating white surface above him provided no such

entertainment.

He had tried getting up and walking around the room this morning, standing at the window and taking in the view of the Garden for the first time. It hadn't lasted long since Dr. Kadowaki came in and lectured him back into the lumpy bed. Harry wished he could get out of that place. With nothing to do, and so few people coming to talk to him all he had to think about was the past.

That was only painful to the point that the weight in his chest made it difficult to breath.

Sitting with his back pressed hard against the headboard and the sheets bunched around his waist Harry tried tracing nonsense patterns in the material.

It wasn't particularly entertaining, but it was sufficiently mind numbing that the ache in his chest faded somewhat.

Selphie had promised him books from the school library and had asked if there were any in particular he would like. Harry had suggested history. And though the bright girl was yet to return it was, at least, something to look forward to.

It was only about ten in the morning, judging by the light as there were no clocks in the room much to Harry's relief, when the door swished open and someone other than Dr. Kadowaki stepped in.

It was a young man that Harry hadn't met before. But he had the scar that matched Seifer's and he wondered if this was the infamous rival.

The young man stood there for a moment, looking at Harry as if he hadn't thought about what to do after arriving. In an effort to get the stranger to say something Harry smiled. Or at least tried to, they were still rather brittle.

When the other's only response was to frown the smile fell, and with a soft sigh Harry nodded to the only chair in the room. The one he wasn't allowed to sit in, apparently.

"Have a seat if you like."

Still frowning the young man dressed in a dark jacket that seemed to be the exact opposite of Seifer's grand white coat took the two steps across the room and sat, bracing his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his cupped hands.

Beginning to get annoyed with the random stranger Harry attempted to get at least a name from the reclusive individual.

"I'm Harry, by the way." He said, a question hanging in the air after his introduction.

Looking him straight in the eye the other man nodded, responding, "Squall."

Well, at least he had a name now.

Harry waited, hoping for an explanation for the visit.

With no answer being forthcoming Harry's patience gave out.

"Are you here for a specific reason or are you just hiding from someone?" Harry asked, a little off put by Squall's recalcitrant manner.

"Yes," Squall answered simply, and Harry spent a moment trying to figure out to which of his

suggestions the answer applied.

"Could you be more specific, please?" Harry asked, really getting annoyed now. Not that he was going to tell Squall to leave. Even infuriating company is still company and, therefore, welcome.

"I came to get Selphie off my back." Squall said with a slight huff, releasing a yawn a moment later.

Harry tried not to snort, but he had thought that Selphie would be like that. All sweetness and sunshine one moment and then something truly terrifying the next. It reminded him painfully of Luna.

Unfortunately, Harry wasn't entirely successful in covering the sound and Squall scowled at him. Harry wondered briefly what would happen if Squall was ever in the same room as Snape before shrugging off the awkward thought. Snape had been dead even before he...left.

Focusing on his visitor once again Harry noted the bags under the others eyes and the tension in his shoulders. No one was that on edge normally.

In an attempt to give the brunette a reprieve, he attempted another smile.

"If you want to go I'll tell Selphie that you came by. Stop her harassing you for a little while."

Squall looked as if he was about to take the offer when the door swished open again. Revealing

Selphie and Zell both laden with half-a-dozen books each. Sending an apologetic glance towards Squall, Harry looked at the two hyperactive SeeDs as they marched in with their loads. Harry was relieved to note that whatever else had changed books were still the same. And the written language was at least similar to the one he knew. The alphabet looked the same if nothing else.

"That's a lot of books." He commented idly as they were placed on the bedside table. "I'll see if I can get through them all before Dr. Kadowaki lets me out of here."

Selphie grinned at Harry happily.

"That is our entire History section!" Zell said, appalled that anyone would want to read their way through it at all, let alone in a week.

"And I am very bored," Harry said, a grin showing for a moment. Harry frowned as he thought about what Zell had said. If this was the library's entire History section then Hermione would have wept.

Wincing slightly as the thought of his friend caused the ache in his chest to twinge again, Harry sent a puzzled glance at Squall and Selphie.

"Is this seriously the entire History section?" He asked, a bit dubious about the idea.

Squall nodded while beside him Selphie chirped happily. "It's the largest section in the library."

Harry's draw dropped.

"You can't be serious!" He exclaimed. He didn't need to imagine, he knew Hermione would have wept at the very thought of such a poorly kept library.

The three in the room looked at him oddly and Zell nodded.

Closing his eyes for a moment Harry took a moment to remind himself that this was a technologically advanced society. It was quite possible that most of their history and information

was kept in some sort of computer database or the internet.

"I sincerely hope it isn't your only source of information then." Harry said eventually, thinking that he really would need to learn how to use their technology. It wasn't that he couldn't operate things. He had grown up with the Dursley's and not in the wizarding world. It was just that he wasn't used to it. The Dursley's never let him touch anything except the stove and the wizarding world had been so firmly rooted in the dark ages that it had ceased to be quaint and became somewhat bothersome.

Quills were all very well and good but pens were much easier to write with.

"Of course not." Squall said irritably, clearly thinking that Harry was an idiot. "Most of the

information we need can be accessed in the classroom computers."

Harry nodded dumbly. He had expected as much.

"We used to have a library with shelf upon shelf of books. The room was so large you could get lost in it." It was a quiet muse and Harry only half wanted them to hear the words. He was reluctant to tell them too much about his past...or the past in general. It was his and he wanted it to stay that way.

Zell obviously heard him and gave a low whistle.

Squall snorted, drawing the others attention to him instantly.

"Oh? And how did you stop them from rotting away? We have to replace ours every couple of decades, I can't imagine doing that for so many books." He said, a smirk playing about his lips.

Harry just looked at him. He thought they had magic in the future...and yet not his kind of magic obviously.

Deciding that some sort of answer was required Harry stuck to the simplest truth he could.

"Magic." He said with a slight shrug. While the answer was obviously standard for him, Zell and

Selphie looked at him with wide eyes while Squall just looked sceptical.

"What, like a stop spell or something? Except for inanimate objects?" Zell asked excitedly.

Harry frowned, he had no idea what a stop spell was. Though if he were to take it literally it might be something like Petrificus Totalus.

"We had a number of different preservation charms," Harry said, trying to keep the explanation to a minimum, "some were more effective than others, but it meant we could keep books and artifacts that were millennia old."

Squall eyebrows shot up and Selphie looked excited. Zell looked a little gobsmacked. Harry thought that if this was the way they were reacting then the future obviously didn't care very much for the physical reminders of their history.

"Seriously!" Squall asked, the doubt still evident in his voice.

"Yeah." Harry said simply, biting his lip as he thought before adding, "there were all sorts of things that used them. There was a hat from one of my school's founders that was over a thousand years old."

Squall's continued air of evident disbelief told Harry that nothing would convince the man apart from solid proof. As much as he wished he could Harry couldn't provide that, and it wasn't likely that the Sorting Hat was still around either.

Hogwarts was probably ruins by now, if that.

The weight in his chest throbbed painfully and Harry tried to hide the grimace as Selphie and Zell enthused with each other about the possibility that there was a time when magic, wielded by humans, could do so much."

In a desperate attempt to change the subject Harry looked at Zell and feigning enthusiasm as best he could.

"So what is this Stop spell you mentioned?"

It was easy enough to keep them talking for well over two hours, discussing the different spells that the SeeDs used and what their effects were.

It was interesting really, a lot of the spells were similar to ones that Harry had learnt, but they were weaker in general. After he had convinced Selphie to show him a little of her magic she had produced a Fire spell that hung in the air for a moment before burning out.

Harry imagined that, while it would hurt an opponent and would certainly come in useful starting a campfire, it wasn't overly powerful. Even bearing in mind that the other levels of the spell, Fira and Firaga were getting more powerful and damaging it didn't really compare to Incendio or Ignis Deglubere. Or even a simple Inflammare. It was into this train of thought that Dr. Kadowaki entered.

Scowling menacingly at the three SeeDs dotted about the room, she turned her ire to focus on Harry. Who was still obediently in bed, though he was sitting against the bed head rather than lying down as he knew she prefered.

"Enough already. You should be resting or you'll never get out of here." She said exasperatedly, and Harry suppressed a shudder at the thought of an eternity trapped in the small Med Bay room.

Wincing in sympathy the SeeDs obediently filed out and Harry settled back into the bed properly, grumbling under his breath. He felt fine, honestly. He wasn't in any pain, unless of course they counted the ache in his chest and he wasn't about to tell them about that. He didn't see why he had to stay locked up for another four days, at least. He wasn't even allowed out of his bed for Merlin's sake!

Harry watched as Kadowaki narrowed her eyes at him before leaving without another word.

As soon as the door had swished closed behind her Harry propped himself up on his pillows and lifted the first book from the pile. He wondered painfully, as he cracked the cover open, if Hermione would have believed what she was seeing if she was here now.


	9. A Sword and a Sorceress

A Sword and A Sorceress:

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his spot on the floor of the hospital room. This time, however, it had nothing to do with the comfort of the furnishings. Ever since he had woken up he had felt an odd itching, bubbling sensation just under his skin. He hadn't had much of a chance to notice it before now, but on the fifth day trapped in the small hospital room and just about every book on history he could stomach it was beginning to drive him slowly mad.

Stilling his movement Harry concentrated again, driving his awareness inwards as he focused on his magic.

He had always felt his magic in some way or another, he just hadn't always known that it was magic. And now it had been rising to the surface of his skin like it wanted to tear itself away from him. That thought scared Harry, that his magic might not be the same anymore.

It had been the only thing he had been allowed to take with him from the past and a shiver ran down his spine at the thought that that too would be taken from him or twisted beyond recognition.

It was interesting, though.

While his magic rose to settle in his skin his core was still whole and healthy. The feel of the magic had not changed it had simply moved.

Frowning Harry pulled himself to his feet, moving to sit on the bed as he asked himself questions like Hermione had always told him too.

His magic was normal, which was good. But, why was it shifting to beneath his skin?

What was different now?

Rolling his eyes to himself Harry wondered, what isn't different now?

Then the thought struck him. He didn't have a wand.

If his magic knew that, or if magic herself was helping him, then could the shift be so it would be easier to use without a wand? Without a focus?

That made sense, of a sort.

Now the only thing that remained was to test the theory. Harry hadn't done any magic since he woke up and he suffered a moment of irrational fear that it wouldn't work.

Pushing down the tide of panic Harry concentrated. Hermione had once told him that it took twice as much concentration to work Wandless magic, and he didn't want to risk this not working. He might just curl up and cry if it didn't.

Narrowing his attention to the plastic knife sitting on the abandoned lunch tray on his bedside table, Harry nervously lifted a hand and willed the magic beneath the skin to do what he wanted it to do.

"Wingardium Leviosa." He intoned softly.

Harry gasped softly as he felt the magic shifting and reaching out from him like another limb to gently lift the knife a few centimetres off the tray.

It was a different feeling, to say the least, Harry had never felt his magic actually perform the spell before. He supposed that the wand acted like some sort of buffer or cut off from the magic and user.

Sitting back against the bed head Harry let the first truly genuine smile he had given since waking up light his face. He still had his magic. It would definitely take practice. It had been difficult to lift a single plastic knife, he didn't particularly want to try some of his offensive spells before he had a chance to get used to doing them without a wand.

Sitting straighter, Harry thought quickly. He didn't want to risk forgetting any of the spells he knew, he wondered if he should write them down but quickly discarded the idea. He was alone here, and he didn't want anyone else to know how different his magic was.

Frowning Harry thought about what the books had said about Sorceresses going mad on their power, how loose their mental grips were, and how could he be sure he wouldn't forget anything?

Groaning, Harry put his head in his hands. He should have listened to Snape, he knew that Occlumency helped concentration and memory recall. He knew that it would cement his grip on reality.

Both things that he needed, for his own peace of mind, if nothing else.

Thoughts racing at an alarming rate Harry recalled all the things Snape had told him about the mind arts. Clear your mind. Build a wall, then build something inside it to hold everything.

It wasn't something Harry was especially good at. His thoughts hadn't been quiet since the day he stepped into the wizarding world with Hagrid, maybe there was another way to go about it? Something that would work for him?

Sighing in frustration Harry slumped into the headboard and stared out the strip of the window that he could see. Giving up on the problem for the time being Harry let his thoughts wander. Thinking of Hagrid and Hermione, Ron and Neville he thought again of Quidditch and how much he already missed flying. The freedom of the sky, where nothing could touch him and the past and future held no importance.

His thoughts roaming in the cloudless blue sky and the wind Harry blinked. Of course. He had never thought before that 'clearing the mind' might mean a removal of visual apparitions and not thoughts.

Sitting up off the wall Harry closed his eyes and imagined flying.

If he was alone here, he would be ready for anything. Nothing would be able to touch him. A half-hour later Harry opened his eyes to look out the window, wondering if it was possible for him to teach himself to fly. Like how he had seen Snape and some of the Order do.

Gripping the sheet beneath him Harry set himself a list.

\- Practice magic wandlessly.

\- Learn Occlumency.

\- Fly.

Just as he set his resolve to those things the door swished open revealing Cid again. Behind him trailed Seifer and Harry wondered if the other man had any friends since he was spending so much time with him.

Harry almost wept at the sight of the clear sky over his head.

After a week cooped up in the Med Bay, Harry was suffering from claustrophobia. Memories of his cupboard hadn't helped any. The nightmares had finally convinced Dr Kadowaki to let him out a day earlier than expected.

He was out of the Med Bay, but Harry didn't feel free. The room they gave him was like those of the SeeDs. He hadn't thought much of it at the time. After listening to Quistis tell him about the training he understood that the room was a big thing. It had already set a lot of people offside and that was just the sort of thing he had been trying to avoid.

On their way to the armoury, to find him a weapon to train in, Harry thought that he might set himself an ultimatum. Either he proves to himself and everyone else that he deserves that room. Or he moves into the smaller shared apartments that all trainees used.

As he came to this decision Quistis came to a halt in front of him waiting for the locked door to open.

The door opened with its characteristic swishing. And Harry's eyes widened at the display in the room beyond.

He had imagined the Armoury to be like the room in Hogwarts he and Ron had stumbled into in their first year. Filled with a stacked mishmash of weapons in no particular order.

The Garden's Armoury couldn't be more different. The weapons gleamed with a deadly light, carefully ordered in racks designed for them. Harry looked down rows of swords, spears, whips and daggers. All in different shapes and sizes to fit anyone who might stumble into the Garden.

Grinning at him Quistis nudged him towards the nearest rack of sharpened blades.

"Alright, let's see what we can find for you." Harry took a hesitant step back. The gleam in her eyes reminding him uncomfortably of Mr Ollivander and his wands.

Eyeing him Quistis pointed Harry towards the short swords and lighter blades.

"Built for speed, I think you would be best with something like that. Try anything that catches your eye, test its weight and feel." Quistis instructed without further preamble. For the first time since he had met the strawberry blonde, Harry understood why she was an instructor. Even if she had been demoted.

He wandered the racks of swords, daggers and assorted knives that Harry couldn't name.

He liked the look of a few of the slimmer swords, they reminded him of Gryffindor's Sword. The simple blades lacked the flair of the knives and daggers, but they were familiar.

He reached for one that looked to be similar in size and shape to his Founder's blade. Harry hefted the metal in his grip, testing the weight. It was far lighter than he had assumed the strange sheen of the metal suggesting why. It was clearly made from a lightweight metal that he had never encountered before.

"What are these made off?" Harry asked Quistis who was browsing the whips and flails on the other side of Harry's aisle.

"Most of the blades in here are alloys of one sort or another. It makes them strong without the crippling weight of something like iron or steel."

Shifting the sword in his grip again Harry lifted it into a defensive position. His technique probably left a lot to be desired. But his only experience with weaponry was marred by the giant snake he had been concentrating on at the time. He hadn't had time to worry about technique. It had been a 'stab at it until it dies' moment.

Swinging the blade in the confined space Harry nodded to himself. He walked down the aisle until he found Quistis tracing the handle of a black and silver flail.

"Do you know what they used to make this one?" Harry asked, trying to make noise and not startle the woman. He had made that mistake once with a SeeD and he had no want to repeat the exercise. He wondered where Seifer had disappeared to. He hadn't visited Harry again.

Turning around Quistis smiled. Turning her focus to the blade in his hand she frowned at it before her expression cleared.

"That's a titanium alloy. Strongest you can be at a light weight. Good choice." She said smiling.

Harry nodded and tried to look like he knew what he was doing.

"So what now?" He asked, worried. He had never trained in a weapon before, but that didn't mean he hadn't trained. He knew his magic back to front and sideways. Especially after exercises Hermione had run him through during the camping trip from hell.

Quistis's smile was evil.

"Now we stick you up against a monster and see how you do." She said in such a bright voice that Selphie would have been proud. Harry gulped.

"No basics first?" He hedged.

Quistis laughed.

"Hit them with the pointy end." Was all she said as she turned and marched back towards the door. Harry trailed behind.

Harry groaned as he sat on the bed he had taken in a shared apartment. The paired room had been empty. And he felt more comfortable here, he wasn't taking something he hadn't earned. At least in the eyes of these people.

The sword and corresponding sheath propped against the end of the bed gleaming. After three hours of hacking at grats in the training centre, Harry felt that he had improved. A little.

Harry shifted to sit across the bed with his back against the wall. Slowly letting all the tense muscles in his shoulders relax. Focusing on the mental image of a sky, of flying.

His spells he had discovered were far easier to cast the more he concentrated on his Occlumency. He wasn't perfect yet, and he couldn't hold any solid image for information storage. But his concentration and willpower had improved.

But he still had a way to go. He hoped that he might be able to keep kernels of knowledge in snitch like balls in the sky. Only he would know which ones held what information, and they were near impossible to catch.

Sighing Harry rubbed at his tired eyes and sat straighter on the bed lifting a hand to begin casting. He could manage a powerful expelliarmus now. It had always been one of his favourites.

An hour later, exhausted from training Harry finally let himself collapse for sleep.

The week that followed was much the same pattern. Harry would practice with his sword and para-magic. Spending two hours every evening devoted to his Occlumency and Wandless magic.

He hadn't thought too much of learning to fly yet. Harry didn't think that he would be able to until he had mastered the advanced spells first. He imagined that flight required a lot of concentration.

In the hour Quistis kindly bestowed upon him for lunch, Harry slumped at a small table in the cafeteria. The television screen flickering on caught his attention, before showing the Galbadian president. Harry didn't know much about him beyond what he had read in the recent history of Terra.

The short speech of introduction sent shivers running down his spine. This could be nothing good.

The cafeteria quietened to listen as the exotically clad woman stepped up to the podium. Harry shuddered. The look in her eyes, Harry had seen that before. True madness, the likes of which he had seen in Voldemort's red eyes and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Harry didn't notice when Zell slipped into the seat beside him. He was so focused on the woman...the Sorceress, on the screen.

"LOWLIFES! Miserable Wretches!..." The Sorceress began and Harry realised what was going on and it wouldn't end well. Not for those who were anywhere near that woman.

Looking around him Harry noticed Zell for the first time but didn't pause to wonder when he had gotten there.

"Zell, do you know where this is airing from?" Harry asked half rising from his seat.

Zell frowned up at the screen before nodding. "Yeah, it's coming from Timber. It's odd because that station shut down years ago. Since the tower in Dollet closed down."

Harry nodded, standing and headed towards the door as quickly as he could. Dodging around the crowd of SeeDs, trainees and students.

"Hey Harry, wait up!" Zell called a moment later when he realised that he was leaving.

"We're you going?" Zell asked as he jogged a little to catch up with the agitated Sorcerer.

"The Headmaster's office. We have to warn them." Harry said, dodging the potted plants in the main hall, "Zell, how many people live in Timber?"

"About 20,000, why?"

Harry swore under his breath before starting to sprint towards the lift to the third floor.

"Harry! What's this about?" Zell asked hopping as he followed Harry into the cramped space of the elevator.

"That mad woman is going to go on a killing spree as her 'big entrance' into society. We have to get a warning to Timber to get out." Harry said fidgeting in the small space. Wishing it was larger so he could pace.

"WHAT!" Zell shouted, appalled.

Harry nodded. The agitated bubbling of his magic spiking for a moment as the lift dinged and the doors opened.

"CID!" Harry shouted, sprinting from the lift. Barging straight into the office only to scream to a halt at the sight that awaited him.

The Headmaster was standing before a large screen showing blood and bodies and ruin.

With a sob, Harry felt his legs give way.

"Too late." He muttered even as he felt Zell crouch down beside him. "I'm always too late."

 **A/N:** As you may have noticed I killed the Failed Knighting. Mostly because I wanted Seifer to hang around a bit longer and I don't want them to assume that he is a willing enemy when he does go AWOL. There is so much room for character development here that I just couldn't help myself. :)


	10. A Study in Irritation

Squall grumbled under his breath as he made his way to the headmaster's office on the third floor.

Everyone knew what was happening. Everyone, every civilian, every SeeD had seen the broadcast. The Sorceress had made sure of that. Everyone had seen the massacre that had just occurred in Timber. Everyone that is, except the Sorcerer that should have saved them. No, he had been sitting, snug as a bug, in a hospital bed in the med bay and hadn't even known it was happening.

What was the scrawny kid good for if he couldn't save them? He was supposed to save them, and he hadn't.

The elevator opened with a muffled 'ding' that seemed a little unhealthy for the machine.

He ignored the state of the Garden's mechanics. Brushing past the Faculty members huddled near the doorway, muttering discontentedly. He could sympathise, he was pretty discontent himself.

Squall entered the office without knocking. Coming to an abrupt halt as the doors swung closed behind him. Sitting in one of the padded chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk was the source of his discontent. Or at least a convenient scapegoat.

Harry sat with his back straight in the large chair. He looked ridiculous, Squall thought with a mental snort. Dressed in too large pants and T-shirt. Surely they could have found something that fit the boy better? Or cut something down to size?

Squall set irrelevant questions aside, coming to attention in front of the Headmasters desk. Ignoring the third occupant of the room for the time being.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" He asked, sticking to Garden protocol for the time being.

"Ah, yes. The business with Timber, I feel that we should help. Being the closest Garden and all, despite being on a different continent. We are better equipped to deal with these sorts of things. I would like you to lead a small team to help the clean up and take in supplies. Deal with any Galbadian soldiers who try to terrorise the civilians?" Cid said, outlining the mission. Speeches may not be the man's strong point, but he could organise people and supplies well.

Squall nodded. "Yes, Sir. Understood." Squall glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Sorcerer, Harry. He wondered why he was there.

He wasn't sure how the Headmaster did it. But Squall convinced himself that Cid had read his mind, answering his mental query.

"I would like Harry to go with you, I know Seifer's gone AWOL, but Selphie and Zell should be free to accompany you. It's time Harry started to see the world as it is a little." Cid tried to smile at the raven haired man.

Squall frowned when he noticed the scowl on the sorcerer's face. Did he even know what had happened? How could he not know? Was he going to refuse to help?

Cid coughed before ploughing ahead. The Headmaster had finally given up on staying in the Sorcerer's good books. About time too, Squall thought. There was no point, he hadn't seen the supposed Sorcerer do anything useful yet.

"It would also be a good chance to determine which of you is Harry's Knight. The test for Seifer, although controlled to a certain extent, was a little explosive.

Squall grimaced at the thought of his blond haired rival. It had not been a pleasant parting.

Focusing instead on the present Squall looked at Harry.

"Are you up to this?" He asked. If the scrawny young man couldn't keep up with three trained SeeDs then he wasn't about to go easy on him.

He hadn't saved them so Squall would make sure he was able to.

Receiving a nod in return Squall decided that he would give the boy a day of hard hiking before he caved. If the supplies were going by train then there wouldn't be room for any of them.

Turning back to the Headmaster Squall finished the meeting. "I'll go alert Selphie and Zell that we have a mission, Sir. We'll leave today in two hours. We'll head to Balamb for a boat before going cross-country to Timber."

Ignoring Cid's slight grimace at the gruelling pace he had dictated. Squall turned on his heel and left the office in search of his two competent team members.

In the end, he found them in the Quad. Trying to chase down a couple of new trainees who had swiped a couple of playing cards by the look of it.

"Selphie, Zell." Squall hailed, just loud enough for them to hear him over the shouting.

Both the blond and the brunette whirled around and bounded up to him with far too much energy.

"Hi, Squall. Need something?" Selphie asked with a bouncing Zell beside her.

Nodding Squall recounted the Headmaster's orders. "Be ready to leave at the front gate in," Squall checked his watch, "an hour and a half."

"We'll be there," Zell said, getting ready to charge off before pausing at the look on Squall's face. "Anything else?"

Squall held back the involuntary groan by sheer force of will, nodding.

"Harry's coming with us."

Squall knew that Selphie and Zell liked the Sorcerer. But even taking that into consideration their reaction was a little explosive.

"YES!" Zell shouted, jumping and pumping the air with his fists.

Squall winced at the loud and enthusiastic response so close to his ears and sighed.

"Just be at the gate, we're going cross country from the harbour so make sure you have everything," Squall said before retreating to a safe distance as the two hyperactive SeeDs exited the Quad.

Grumbling under his breath again, Squall went to do his own packing.

Squall wasn't the first to the front gate as he had planned.

There waiting by one of the ornamental pillars was the Sorcerer, Harry. He hadn't expected the younger man to be there so early, or to be ready at all within a decent time for that matter.

Frowning, Squall nodded to the raven and settled in to wait the fifteen minutes for Selphie and Zell. It wouldn't be a pleasant task to clean up Timber. He had seen the images of the blood and gore as well as everybody else over the broadcast. He wondered idly if Harry would stomach it. He wondered if _he_ could stomach it as the flashes of Dollet and blood and gunfire flickered through his mind.

Squall shook his head to clear the unpleasant memories. Before scanning the area just outside the protection of the Garden's front gates. The chance that monsters could attack them here was high, and he didn't want any surprises

His eyebrows rose for a moment when he caught Harry watching him. Something he could only describe as sympathy in his eyes. Before they both turned again to watch the plains that made up much of Balamb Island.

Squall's thoughts raced as they waited. He didn't know why the Sorcerer was coming with them. He didn't think he could be much help. The lightweight sword strapped to the others hip wasn't going to do much good. Not with only a week to learn.

Squall had yet to see anything beyond the norm with the others magical ability. Though he did know that Harry didn't need a Guardian Force junctioned to use it.

Pushing that train of thought away. Squall was relieved when Selphie and Zell arrived together. Bouncing despite the grim task ahead of them. Squall suffered a pang of envy, he wished he could be so unaffected by the massacre.

Nodding to the most recent arrivals Squall checked his own pack. Before signalling that it was time to move.

"Let's get moving then. The boat to the Galbadian continent leaves in three hours and it's a long walk to Balamb town." Squall said heading off down the road.

Harry stayed near the back of the party while walking. It seemed to Squall that he was thinking and started when he heard him start talking to Zell.

"What's the situation in Timber, politically?" He asked and Squall sighed. At least the Sorcerer wasn't stupid. Thank Hyne for small mercies.

"The Galbadian Military have occupied the City State of Timber for years," Zell answered. Patient and quiet for the hyper young man. "There are all sorts of resistance groups around, though. Not many of them are active...or were. I don't know how many there are now." Zell petered off while Harry nodded considering.

"So the chances of Galbadia keeping a strong military presence in the town is pretty high?" To Squall, taking the lead, it sounded like Harry was musing to himself but chose to answer anyway.

"No, they left only a few guards after this massacre. I think they assumed that after something like that they wouldn't need much to control them." Squall said over his shoulder.

To his surprise, and that of Selphie and Zell as well, Harry laughed.

"That makes them idiots. The resistance groups might have been 'inactive' before. But now they have something tangible to fight against. This will only make them fight harder. It's fight or die now."

Squall turned around at that. Stopping in the middle of the road and watching the shorter man for a moment before nodding.

"Let's hope your right, and that they haven't had the fight squashed out of them."

The walk to Balamb town was quiet. Sticking to the road the group of four avoided most monsters.

The few stray Bite Bugs that stumbled across their path were easily dealt with. Squall hung back for the most part. Trying to gauge Harry's fighting ability. He was reluctant to admit that what he saw impressed him. It was obvious that he had only started learning recently, but he knew how to fight to his advantage. Using his speed and agility to its fullest potential. It was one less thing that Squall had to worry about during the assignment.

He had yet to see much proof of Harry's magical ability, though, and that was beginning to eat at his nerves. Either the other man wasn't the Sorcerer and it was all an elaborate hoax. Or he was holding back deliberately.

The option that something was wrong with Harry's magic was unlikely so Squall pushed it away. He assumed that Harry was smart enough to have said something if that was the case.

When they reached the docks that had led them to Dollet two weeks ago Squall made an effort to detach himself. Now was not the time to have an emotional breakdown.

Squall, Zell and Selphie watched bemused as they came in sight of the SeeD ships.

"How is that a ship?" Harry asked no one in particular and Squall resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Not only was the Sorcerer reluctant to use his magic but he'd never seen a boat before either.

Selphie laughed, "I'd imagine the style has changed a little over the last few thousand years. These beauties are for speed. Not the most comfortable ride but they're quick."

Squall turned away from the conversation as Harry nodded.

Accessing the main deck through the hatch in the side Squall made his way into the ship. Settling as comfortably as he could in the hard seats.

"You know Harry's not all that bad right?" Zell said beside him, curbing his natural bounce.

Squall shrugged. Harry was better than he had thought. At least he learnt quickly, but he had yet to see anything from the Sorcerer that changed his opinion. The boy was just that, a boy. He doubted he had any experience in combat situations. Not to mention this whole mess, if he was the Sorcerer then there shouldn't have been a massacre.

Zell harrumphed. Slumping into his seat, watching as Harry and Selphie followed taking the seats opposite.

It came as a pleasant surprise for Squall to notice that Harry didn't complain as the engines fired up. The comfort of the vessel abandoned for speed.


	11. The Journey Begins

**The Journey Begins:**

An hour sitting down did not agree with Squall and he shifted in his seat before glancing around his teammates. Selphie was oiling the chain of her nunchaku and Zell was sorting what seemed to be his card collection.

Opposite him, Squall thought that Harry had gone to sleep, but the other man was far too rigid. Of in dreamland perhaps?

Shrugging mentally Squall finally gave up on making the hard seat comfortable and stood.

"I'm gonna head outside for a bit." He said in response the inquisitive looks directed his way from Zell and Selphie. Harry hadn't so much as twitched in his trance like state and Squall frowned a little. If it was likely that the raven would fall into such a state then they would have to keep a close eye on him. Another thing they had to watch with the Sorcerer.

Squall grumbled under his breath in frustration as he opened the top hatch to get out onto the deck of the ship. Letting the spray from the water hit his face.

The air wasn't stuffy out here, the precise opposite in fact. And it was a relief to be able to stretch out his cramped muscles.

Thinking back to the issue of the Sorcerer Squall frowned. Why would Cid send a half trained rookie out with a team of three SeeDs? Sorcerer or not the kid could barely defend himself and it didn't make sense. Yes, they could test to see who was most compatible with Harry's magic but they could have done that anytime. Either before they left or even when they came back.

If the Sorcerer was even half of what he was said to be then the massacre of Timber shouldn't have even happened.

Sighing to himself Squall leant against the metal railing.

The only reason he could think of for Headmaster Cid sending the Sorcerer with them was if Harry had asked to come. Which didn't make any sense either. For all that he had picked up cure spells from Dr. Kadowaki over the last two weeks, Harry wouldn't be that much of a help. Not in keeping monsters and Galbadian soldiers out of the city. And not in putting the place back together.

It didn't make sense.

Growling Squall ran a distracted hand through his hair. The only thing that answered his questions was that Harry was holding back. Holding out on them when they needed him most. That thought only made Squall angry with the younger man and he gritted his teeth. Anger served no use at the moment.

Sighing out into the crisp air again Squall started when the hatch behind him opened. The source of his frustration had followed him out onto the deck.

Harry sent him a vaguely apologetic smile that seemed a little shaky around the edges. Before he moved to settle on the other side of the deck. Considering that that boat was so small, that meant he was two meters away.

Sighing again Squall took the chance to get a few answers.

"Do you fall into that trance often?" Start with the most relevant things first.

Harry looked up in mild surprise before frowning over the question.

"Only when I choose to." He replied.

Squall nodded, relieved on that note.

"I wouldn't advise going so unresponsive while we travel to Timber. Monsters have a tendency to attack when you don't want them too."

Harry grimaced before forcing his shoulders to relax and nodding.

"Sure."

Squall frowned.

He didn't know how to react. Harry seemed ready enough to follow the advice - which he would make an order if he needed to - but he was no soldier. There was no training there that demanded he give a formalised answer.

To Squall who ha grown up in the military environs of the Garden it was difficult to understand.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose Squall turned to other subjects.

"I haven't seen you do anything beyond para-magic..." Squall trailed off, unsure of where he wanted to go with this line of questioning.

For a fleeting moment, he understood how Harry must be feeling. Squall didn't know how to react and understand Harry. Could the Sorcerer be suffering the same?

Even as he trailed off Squall watched as the raven scowled at nothing in particular. Glaring at the horizon before looking down, a guilty expression darting across his face. Squall's stomach lurched. He had been right.

"You're holding out on us aren't you?" He said softly.

When Harry didn't react Squall frowned. How was he going to get any answers from the man if he wouldn't acknowledge him?

Groaning, Squall decided to pick his battles. If the Sorcerer refused to show his magic then FINE! But, just so long as no innocents got hurt when they could have been saved. Not if it could prevent another Timber.

"Fine, I don't care. Hold out for as long as you like. But if you have a chance to save a life and you don't take it then I will be first in line to hunt you down. Just like any other Sorceress." Squall said, marching to the hatch and tearing it open and storming inside.

He ignored the stricken expression on Harry's face. If something he had said had finally gotten through that thick skull then that was all to the good. There was no room for the selfish in Terra. Not with a deranged Sorceress running around.

And why did her face seem so familiar?

Groaning again, Squall skipped the main deck when he heard the excited babble of Zell and Selphie. Heading straight for the hold and the relative peace it provided Squall rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Fighting the impending headache and wishing he had packed some pain killers. Whatever Dr. Kadowaki said they helped.

Slumping down onto the hard metal Squall leant back and examined the shadowy ceiling. The sounds of the ship moving through the water louder here than above but still in a way the deck was silent. It was background noise and nothing more.

The flashes of gunfire didn't bother him here, the smears of blood on his gunblade didn't stain. For the first time in two weeks, Squall sighed in relief and let his eyes close. He would wake when they got to the continent, he could afford a short rest.

The short rest was too short Squall thought, blinking away sleep. Something prodded him in the chest again.

"Come on Squall get up! We're here!" Selphie's bright voice forced away the last of Squall's tiredness. And he pulled himself to his feet.

Nodding to Selphie in thanks, Squall tried to ignore the worried glances of the two SeeDs. Harry glanced at him before staring at the forests and fields that were common on this side of the continent. In the far distance the milky purple and blue of the mountains stood.

Squall checked that he still had his expanded pouch and strode out of the ship without another word. The other three followed him in silence.

It was already late when they stepped out of the SeeD ship. Squall suspected that they wouldn't be able to get far from the shore before they had to find a place to camp.

At least now he didn't worry quite so much about Harry being a liability. Another glance at the shorter man in the dim light showed that he had a somewhat troubled expression. Squall wondered for a moment about the others before he pushed that line of thought away. He wasn't concerned about the Sorcerer's emotional turmoil. If he couldn't deal with it on his own then that was his problem.

Squall turned to Selphie, the most travelled of the three SeeDs.

"How far inland do you think we'll get before needing to stop?" He asked.

Selphie frowned. Staring towards the point where the white sand stopped and the grass and forest started.

"We should make it far enough that we can find a defensible position in the edges of the forest. But I wouldn't go too far. The first place we find I think." Selphie mused, loud enough for the others to hear.

Squall looked in the direction of the forest. It was about three miles from where they were and he hoped that Harry wouldn't wear out halfway. He wouldn't be the one carrying him if he did.

"Alright then. Let's get going." Squall said before he started walking towards the edge of the beach. The others trailing behind.

Despite stopping twice for the monsters of the Galbadian continent, they made good time. Arriving at the forest's edge in a little under an hour. Squall was again impressed with Harry's durability.

Scanning the trees Squall picked out a point that would allow them a good vantage point for the watch. Easy defense and room to run if need be.

"We'll camp here." His tone brooked no argument. And nobody tried as they set up their blankets on the softest ground they could find.

Squall smirked at Harry's joke about hospital beds. While Selphie and Zell smothered their laughter he settled the matter of the watch. Squall would take first watch. Zell second followed by Selphie while Harry would take the fourth watch.

The other two SeeDs frowned when Squall suggested the rota but Harry made no complaint. Nodding before heading off to find his blanket and fit in as much sleep as he could.

It took Squall until the last hour of his own vigil to realise that the Sorcerer hadn't eaten anything.

Squall grumbled as the sun rose and filtered through the trees the next morning.

Sitting up Squall saw the silhouette of Harry sitting against a tree at the edge of the camp. Scanning from the grass plains to the forest. It was on one of these scans that the Sorcerer noticed that Squall had woken before the others.

Squall pushed away the blanket as Harry offered him a half smile before returning to his watch.

Sighing, Squall pushed to his feet and stumbled into the forest before returning to camp. It was as he was packing away his blanket that he remembered his revelation of the night before.

Letting out an irritated huff. Squall pulled an energy bar from his pouch. They didn't have time for anything else now. Turning to the raven haired man he held it out to him.

"You need to make sure you eat." He said.

Harry looked at him for a moment before blinking and accepting the bar. Squall frowned when all Harry did was hold it.

"You're supposed to eat it." He snapped. He didn't want to babysit the smaller man but if he didn't eat then there would be problems for them all.

Harry gave Squall that funny half-smile that didn't fit on his face. Before gesturing to the plastic wrapper and then to the still sleeping Zell and Selphie.

Squall growled. He snatched the bar from Harry's hand and noisily tore the protective plastic shield off.

"That was a stupid excuse." Squall said before turning to find a seat on the opposite side of the camp to watch the sunrise.

From his spot by another tree, Squall watched as Harry all but inhaled the bar and frowned. If he had been hungry then he should have just eaten. Unless he forgot to pack food.

Squall frowned.

The image of Harry forgetting to pack something so necessary didn't fit what he had observed of the man.

He had thought when he first saw the scrawny man that Harry would be hopeless. So far he had been proven wrong. He might not be the world's finest fighter, but he learnt fast. He hadn't complained once when Squall set the hard march last night. And he seemed to take just about everything in stride.

So no. Harry hadn't forgotten to pack food. He had learnt to ignore hunger and forget about it.

Squall's frown deepened. Thus far the Sorcerer was becoming more and more of an enigma. The more answers he received the more he wanted to ask and the less he understood.

Sighing Squall rubbed the bridge of his nose again. The shifting of one of the blankets heralded the waking of Selphie.

Who showed no restraint in greeting them.

"GOOD MORNING!" Selphie all but shouted as she jumped out of her blanket and danced around the camp.

Both Harry and Squall shuddered at the intense morning personality. Zell, it seemed was able to sleep through just about anything. And that included Selphie's good morning to the world at large.

Snoring in his blanket only the barest hint of his blond hair showed. Squall suppressed a smile as he looked at his team member. He was reluctant to wake the other up. But they should be heading off as soon as they could and as it was they were only waiting on Zell.

Looking around him Squall sighed again before shouting.

"ZELL WAKE UP!"

The blond didn't so much as twitch.

Harry let out a snort of laughter as Squall attempted to shake is comatose team member.

Picking the blond up and dropping him again also did nothing beyond causing him to roll over. Find his errant blanket in his sleep. And curl up again.

Selphie was giggling and Harry was smiling.

"Got any water handy?" Selphie asked.

"No, unless you want to risk killing him with a water spell," Squall replied.

He almost missed Harry's contemplative frown.

Squall did notice when Harry stood up with a determined set to his features and moving to stand over Zell.

"I know something that might work." He said. Gesturing towards the sleeping blond and muttering an odd word under his breath.

A jet of sparkling water erupted out of thin air and landed on Zell, soaking both him and the blanket.

Surprised but pleased that Harry had decided that he wasn't going to hold out on them anymore. Squall snorted as Zell sat up with a yell and jumped to his feet.

Shivering Zell rounded on Squall who pointed in Harry's direction with a smirk on his face.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Zell shouted, put off by the rude awakening.

"Oh, good you're awake." Squall said from behind Zell, causing the blond to turn around again and blush.

Harry smirked and Squall watched over Zell's shoulder as he gestured and muttered something. Suddenly, the soaking wet and shivering Zell was dry. Though the blond had one bad hair day.

Selphie stopped holding in her giggles and laughed at Zell's current 'electrocuted' look.

Squall rolled his eyes but grinned.

Behind the fearful blond Harry's eyes widened and a blush crept up his cheeks.

"Sorry, it wasn't meant to do that. I think I overcooked it a little." He said causing Zell to fall into a series of moans and Selphie laughed all the harder.

It was another ten minutes before they had calmed down enough. Harry had tried to help Zell fix his hair a little, that they were able to start moving. Minds wandering again to their reason for being here and what awaited them in Timber.

Looking at the sun, Squall guessed that they could reach the town later that day. The train of supplies would be another day behind them.

The steady march that Squall set to get to Timber within a reasonable time wasn't exactly an easy pace. Even Zell and Selphie were showing signs of strain after a few hours. The sun was high and the temperature became uncomfortably warm.

Harry hadn't lagged behind. He had kept up with the three SeeD trained fighters. He hadn't so much as opened his mouth to contest the grueling march.

Squall sighed when they rested for a short lunch. He was careful to make sure that Harry ate something other than an energy bar but otherwise let his gaze wander. Travelling constantly over the surrounding grass land. They were getting closer to Timber now. And the signs of Galbadian occupation were beginning to show.

The swathes of dead brown ground where forests once stood a stark contrast to the few left standing.

"This whole area used to be forests." Squall heard Selphie say behind him.

"What happened?" Harry asked and Squall twisted his head.

"Galbadia." He said over his shoulder.

"They invaded Timber for the natural resources. They used a lot of wood when they were invading other countries." Zell said, moving up to sit near Squall and look out over the scars left on the land.

"Haven't they heard of regenerative forests?" Harry asked confused.

Squall turned to face the Sorcerer and raised his eyebrows.

"Regenerative forests?" He asked.

"Planting as you cut the older trees down. I know a lot of places did entire forests of them in stages. So that every five or so years there would be a new crop ready and when they were down they'd plant new trees." Harry explained, thinking of the old lumber mills and plantations.

The three SeeDs looked at each other.

"Now why didn't anyone think of that?" Selphie said in a stunned tone and Squall snorted.

"Because we're all idiots." He said before standing up and stretching. "We should get going. We should be able to reach Timber in a few hours if we keep up the pace."

Groaning Zell and Selphie stood up and Harry followed them. Grimacing as the muscles in his legs complained but didn't say anything.

Squall smirked before heading off. He had underestimated Harry.

"How are you not boiling?" Zell exclaimed half-an-hour later. Glaring daggers at Harry who wasn't affected by the weather.

Harry smirked and waved his hand in their general direction. The wave of blissful cool air that surrounded them was heaven and Squall sighed.

"Cooling charms," Harry said before he moved past Zell and kept walking.

The hours passed with little chatter. With Harry's cooling charms in place Squall was able to push them at a harder pace than before. Prompting Zell to send Harry the odd glare which the mild mannered Sorcerer returned.

Selphie, with her boundless energy, didn't seem concerned by the march. But even her exuberance ha dimmed somewhat.

Cresting the last hill Squall sighed in relief at the sight of the city. It was a little ragged around the edges and even from this distance the destruction was clear. But it promised a break from the steady pace.

"Almost there." He said to no one in particular.

 **A/N:** Sorry that this chapter went whoopsie for a bit. Hopefully it comes up as it should now. :)


End file.
